Mayor Bloomberg and Bette Midler plant 250,000th tree to celebrate two-year anniversary of MillionTreesNYC

October 5, 2009 – Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and New York Restoration Project (NYRP) Founder Bette Midler today celebrated the two-year anniversary of MillionTreesNYC by planting Tree Number 250,000, a Southern Magnolia (Magnolia gradiflora) at the home of Sharon and Thomas Stoney in St. Albans, Queens. The Mayor and Ms. Midler also announced the new “Put Down Roots” pilot program encouraging New York City homeowners to plant trees in their front and backyards. As part of NYC Service, launched by Mayor Bloomberg to answer President Obama’s national call to service, volunteers will knock on doors and inform private homeowners about the benefits of planting trees on their property, as well as to help them obtain free trees to plant. MillionTreesNYC is a public-private partnership between the City of New York and New York Restoration Project (NYRP). At the event, Mayor Bloomberg and Bette Midler were joined by Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, NYRP Executive Director Drew Becher, Chief Service Officer Diahann Billings-Burford, the Stoney family, and NYC Service volunteers.

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