Team of middle schoolers writes children’s book to educate about tree care post Helene

CHARLOTTE — A group of Charlotte middle schoolers first banded together when they were in elementary school.

They formed a local community problem-solving team. Each year, Sophia Tri, Sana Roy and Wyatt Larrick pick a community issue, then tackle it.

“It feels good,” Roy said. “Knowing we can help, even though we’re like, young.”

This year, Hurricane Helene’s destruction moved them to do something.

“We want to inform people on tree damage, to make sure they get their trees checked,” Tri said.

They researched, spoke with arborists, and decided to write a children’s book.

“If their children know, most likely the children would tell their parents about it, and parents could actually do something about it,” Tri said.

Their book, “A Girl, Her Tree, and the Swing,” encourages people to keep their trees healthy.

“The best way to get something across to a young, little child is a children’s book,” Larrick said.

And they have given the book to 30 schools and libraries across North Carolina.

Now, the team is in Indiana, representing the Charlotte area on an international stage.

They won the state Community Problem Solving Championship. In Indiana, they’re competing for the world title.

“You get to work with other people and you experience, like, different things in the world,” Roy said. “It helps you, like, think outside the box.”

In past years, the team has tackled problems involving bees and pollination, as well as protecting older adults from online scams.

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