The four to seven metre high trees will be planted over the following three winters as the Park is created on cleaned up former industrial land and will include a range of traditional species such as Oak, Ash, Alder, Wi llow, Birch, Hazel, Cherry, Poplar, London Plane and Lime.

 

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) will also be seeking suppliers for thousands of younger woodland trees shrubs and other plants over the coming years to create a new type of Park for the 21st century that combines centuries of British park design with ground-breaking green techniques.

 

John Hopkins,  the ODA project sponsor for parklands and public realm said: “Trees will create the roots of the London 2012 Olympic Park which we are on track to deliver.

 

"We are planting trees that reflect great British parks but also create habitats for wildlife and help ‘future proof’ the park and surrounding built-up areas against climate change and flooding.

 

"Trees will help manage flood and rain water in the Park, create a ‘cool island’ on hot days and protect people from strong sun and winds.

 

“We want to work with the best to deliver this great new park and have had an encouraging response from industry since we set out our procurement strategy and timetable a year and a half ago.”

 

The opportunity has been advertised on www.competerfor.com by Bam Nuttall, the contractor appointed to manage the delivery of the northern section of parklands.

 

Over 60 tree suppliers are already registered on CompeteFor following an industry day in spring 2007.

 

In legacy the Olympic Park will be a new green space for people and wildlife and will host the London 2012 legacy sports facilities including the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Velopark, multi-sports arena and Eton Manor outdoor sports complex.

 

The southern part of the Park will focus on retaining the festival atmosphere from the Games, with riverside gardens, markets, events, cafes and bars.

 

The northern area will use the latest green techniques to manage flood and rain water while providing quieter public space and habitats for hundreds of existing and rare species from kingfishers to otters.

 

The ODA is working with the London Development Agency (LDA) to ensure the parklands fit into the Legacy Masterplan Framework - a spatial plan for the development of the Olympic Park site after the 2012 Games.