The Queen visits Olympic Park to plant the first tree

[richard]

Her Majesty The Queen today visited the Olympic Park to see the progress being made on the venues and infrastructure being built for the London 2012 Games.

Her Majesty also helped plant the first tree on the Park. The 17-year-old English white willow, planted close to the Olympic Stadium, is the first of more than 2,000 trees that will be planted in the parklands across the 2.5sq km site.

A total of 300 trees will be located on the Stadium ‘island’, half of which will be planted by the end of 2009.

After viewing the Stadium from a platform at the level of the highest spectators’ seats, Her Majesty then walked along a section of the 100m track and across what will become the finish line.

Olympic Delivery Authority Chairman John Armitt said: ‘It is an honour to welcome Her Majesty The Queen to the Olympic Park site today and show her the progress that is being made across the site. We now have around 7,000 people working to create the venues that are already landmarks on the east London skyline and thousands of British companies working on one of the largest regeneration projects in Europe.’

London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Chair Sebastian Coe said: ‘We are thrilled to welcome Her Majesty back to show the progress we’ve made. The skyline in this part of London is being changed forever. The Olympic Park will become a home to world-class sport in 2012 and a new community afterwards. The Queen is planting the first tree, a symbolic gesture that represents the most extraordinary effort by everyone to ensure the Games bring lasting change for millions of people across London and the country as a whole.’

Read the full 2012 media release


Source
www.london2012.com

Image: John Armitt greets Her Majesty the Queen at the Olympic Park