Bette Midler Wants to Plant a Million Trees

Happy belated Arbor Day! It was Friday, in case you missed it — and don’t worry too much if you did miss it, because there were a number of celebrities, most notably Bette Midler, in Brooklyn on Friday getting their hands dirty and planting trees.

Joining Midler was actress Marcia Gay Harden, the Blue Man Group, along with a number of other somewhat famous faces and a whole slew — over 500 — of volunteers. They spent Arbor Day in Greenpoint Brooklyn, at McCarren Park.

In addition to celebrating Arbor Day, the group was taking part in MillionTreesNYC Month, a program of which Midler is a founder and Mayor Bloomberg a big supporter. The goal, as you might have guessed, is “to plant and care for one million new trees across the City’s five boroughs over the next decade.” The City will plant 60% in parks, on streets, and in other public spaces, leaving 40% of the planting to individuals and private groups.

Meeting this goal will increase the number of trees by 20%, and at least this much is necessary to go along with the population growth NYC is experiencing. Planting trees is a relatively easy and cost effective way to ease the pains of population growth because they clean the air, provide shade, and make neighborhoods more beautiful.

To see how you can help, visit the MillionTreesNYC website and learn about getting involved. And please keep in mind that, even if you don’t live anywhere near New York, you can still plant a tree in your community — every little bit helps!

Photo courtesy of askmen.com