Nebraska students’ environmental artwork to be featured in 2027 “Nebraska: Don’t Waste It!” calendar

LINCOLN, Neb. — The artwork of 13 Nebraska students will be featured in the 2027 “Nebraska: Don’t Waste It!” environmental calendar. The statewide contest is sponsored by the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment (DWEE) and focuses on the importance of waste reduction, recycling and litter cleanup.

The students whose submissions were selected for the 2027 calendar were invited to a ceremony at the State Capitol on Wednesday, July 29, where they were honored by Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly and DWEE Director Jesse Bradley. Each month, the calendar features one of the 12 winning environmental posters. A 13th winner’s artwork provides the cover for the calendar.

The entry featured on the cover was submitted by Bhavyasri Bhooma, a fourth-grade student from Swanson Elementary School in Omaha.

The other 12 winners featured in the calendar are:
August Ortmeier, a third-grade student from St. Wenceslaus Catholic School in Dodge.
Haley Dane, a 12th-grade student from Gordon-Rushville High School in Gordon.
Grace Schmidt, a first-grade student from Grand Island Central Catholic School in Grand Island.
Alexa Gonzalez-Silos, a seventh-grade student from Nebraska City Middle School in Nebraska City.
Camila Hernandez, a fifth-grade student from Boone Central Schools in Albion.
Lizzie Peretti, a fifth-grade student from St. Stephens the Martyr Catholic School in Omaha.
Abel Popish, a seventh-grade student from Nebraska City Middle School in Nebraska City.
Eliza Golden, a 10th-grade student from Gordon-Rushville High School in Gordon.
Dayton Cunningham, a fifth-grade student from Wausa Public Schools in Wausa.
Liliana Grimstad, a seventh-grade student from Syracuse Middle School in Syracuse.
Kierstan Hans, a ninth-grade student from Wynot Public School in Wynot.
Heston Fehringer, a kindergartener at St. Joseph Catholic School in Beatrice.