( CNN ) -- It was once the polluted hotbed of the Industrial Revolution in London , a large area of land that became badly contaminated with toxic waste after centuries of abuse . But the hope of the local Olympic organizers is that , what was once a wasteland site in Stratford , will soon bloom with fauna and wildlife as the green heart of the 2012 Games ' site . The Olympic Delivery Authority ( ODA ) is planning to convert the area into Britain 's first new public park in London for over a century once the sporting event is over and -- in order to create the intended environmental legacy -- the work of planting , cultivating and remodeling the new landscape is already underway . The Olympic Park will not only provide a public space for people to enjoy both during and after the Games , the aim is to generate a variety of habitats for wildlife with 2,000 trees and 350,000 wetland plants . `` There are all kinds of different habitats here and there are target species , '' John Hopkins , a project sponsor for the parklands and public realm at the authority , told CNN . `` We have things like the frog ponds , which hold water and have loggeries in them . `` We also have over 700 wildlife installations . We have wet woodland , which is a very rare habitat that feeds off the river to keep it wet . '' Wetland areas have been central to the regeneration of the area , specifically along the banks of the River Thames , which runs from the UK 's east coast and through the heart of the British capital . `` This is part of a huge vision for restoring working landscapes in the whole of the Thames gateway , which is great for bio-diversity and great for people , '' Hopkins said . `` Parks like this create those places where people want to live , work and play . '' Turning the former industrial area into a suitable home for plants and animals has not been a straightforward process . Factories had been located on the site in the 18th and 19th centuries , which left the soil in need of special treatment . `` This site was one of the crucibles of the Industrial Revolution in London , '' Hopkins said . `` Some of the land was heavily contaminated after centuries of abuse . `` We had what we called 'soil hospitals . ' They were treating all of the materials to make sure that it was suitable for re-use on the site . '' Paul de Zylva , head of international environmental organization Friends of the Earth has been working on the issue of the Games coming to London since 2003 , two years prior to the city being awarded the Olympics . He told CNN he was generally supportive of the work being done by the ODA . `` The plan they have come up with is about trying to create some of the old London habitat that used to exist there , '' said Da Zylva . `` Grasslands , meadows , woodland and waterways as well , and I think that 's been done well . `` They are putting in a long-term management plan for the area . There 's a 10-year management plan for the park , which is a good start . `` They are trying to manage the land to be of high conservation value , to the point where some parts of it would be on the way to being designated as a site of special scientific interest , which is the highest possible designation in this country . So that 's a good ambition . '' De Zylva also praised the honesty of London 's organizers with regards to making information about the Games available . `` We said to them that we do want you to be open and transparent about what the impact of putting on the Games would be , and they published that . `` We were very pleased they did . We think it 's important , if you 're going to learn lessons from staging the Games , that you have a baseline of information about what it actually takes to host the Olympics . `` This is the first time it has been done , London has been good in that respect . '' London has held the Summer Olympics on two previous occasions , in 1908 and 1948 -- next year 's event will begin with the opening ceremony on July 27 and conclude on August 12 .
London 's Olympic Park has been designed to attract both visitors and local wildlife . The site in the Stratford area of the city was contaminated and it had to be treated . London officials hoping to regenerate areas of historic buildings along banks of the Thames . The Games will officially begin with the opening ceremony on July 27 , 2012 .