The Divine Ms. M Puts Down Roots

Last April, Midler on Earth Day (Photo by Donna Ward/Getty Images)

With a little fanfare by the mayor, singer Bette Midler, and others, the 250,000th tree in the city's Million Tree initiative slid into the ground outside a Queens home in Saint Albans. Midler says that leaves just 750,000 more to go.

We're making New York a greener, healthier place. It's gonna be fantstic. You're not even going to recognize this town in ten years!

Today is the second anniversary of the tree planting project. Its next phase will involve volunteers going door to door to encourage homeowners and businesses to plant trees. City officials say the additional trees will help absorb carbon dioxide. Midler is the founder of the New York Restoration Project, which works with the city's MillionTrees NYC.