UCT student and Miss Earth South Africa 2009, Chanel Grantham, showed off her beauty and her environmental awareness work when she participated in the Global Miss Earth pageant.

A BSc student in property studies at UCT, Grantham is currently in the Philippines, where the month-long finale culminated with the coronation on 22 November. (The winner had not yet been chosen at the time of going to press.)

The 100 contestants from around the globe were judged on the environmental work they have done in their respective countries, among other criteria, and the "Queen of Green", as Grantham is affectionately known, was well-prepared.

Recently, she cheered on surfers at the Earthwave surfing and sustainable lifestyle festival in Muizenberg, where an attempt was made to break the Guinness World Record for the most surfers riding the same wave. (And they did, managing over 100 surfers on a wave.)

Grantham has also played a leading role in the Miss Earth South Africa Organisation, which, in association with Consol, is involved in a number of greening initiatives throughout the country, particularly at schools, municipalities and corporates.

As a property studies student, she has a special interest in green buildings. She believes buildings, big and small, have an impact on the environment, and that all stakeholders need to understand the consequences when they fail to embrace the principles of green building.

"As Miss Earth, my vision is to educate and create awareness of the development of green buildings that reduce our ecological footprint," she says.