June 12, 2008 4:00 AM PDT
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Bette Midler, and Big Bird at the kick-off of MillionTreesNYC, a public-private initiative that aims to plant 1 million new trees over the next decade. In its annual report, the PlaNYC program said that in one year it has planted over 54,000.
The trees aren't just there to beautify the neighborhood. They can provide cooling with their canopy and improve air quality in a place where asthma is a serious public health concern.
It's part of the PlaNYC program to prepare the city for 2030, by which time it is expected to have gained 1 million more people, adding to the existing population of 8.25 million.
Photo by PlaNYC
Caption by Martin LaMonica
