If a person doesn’t recycle, he won’t only be harming himself but the entire world.

That was the message Elizabeth Jacobs wanted to convey with the drawing she submitted for the Kansas Don’t Spoil It! calendar contest.

The 8-year-old rural Leavenworth girl won first place among second-graders in the statewide competition. And her artwork is featured in a 2013 calendar distributed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

“I was super happy,” Elizabeth said of winning the contest.

The annual calendar features artwork with environmental themes created by Kansas children.

First-place prizes were awarded for each grade level for kindergarten through 12th grade.

There were about 4,500 entries for the 2013 calendar, according to Rodney Ferguson, public service executive for the KDHE.

Elizabeth is enrolled in a virtual school, Kansas Connections Academy, which is based in Elkhart. She learned about the contest through a newsletter, according to her mother, Shari Jacobs.

Elizabeth said she spent about an hour creating her drawing. She used oil crayons, paint and pencil.

“She knew exactly what she wanted to do,” Shari said.

At the center of the artwork is a drawing of the globe. On one side of the globe, flowers are growing in the sunshine. Smoke is rising from another side of the globe and the sun is masked by smog. The drawing also features people on the globe.

The drawing is featured in the calendar for the month of March, according to Shari.

Elizabeth submitted the artwork several months ago. After being chosen as a first-place winner, she was invited to the governor’s office for an awards event.

During the event, which was held Dec. 10 in Topeka, Elizabeth had her picture taken with Gov. Sam Brownback.

“He was nice,” she said of the governor.

She was presented an enlarged copy of her artwork which was signed by Brownback and another state official. She was presented other items including an award with her name on it and a backpack.

Copies of the calendar were sent to organizations such as public schools, conservation offices, KDHE district offices and municipal governments, according to Ferguson.