The men, women and birds of prey who make the Olympic Park work

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Dolly Alderton5 April 2012

In a little over 12 months, after years of planning, sawing, drilling and hammering, the finished Olympic Park will be unveiled to the public. It's expected to have cost up to £7.2 billion and is set to be a visual spectacle for the world.

But what about the people for whom being on this building site has become just another day in the office? From builders to nurses, caterers to policemen, this patch of east London has played host to a total workforce of 12,635 people.

As the work on the 2012 Olympic park begins to wrap up, we discover the weird and wonderful job titles created in the run-up to the 2012 games.

The Falconer
Jason Keddie, 43, with Amy the Harris Hawk

Job: I fly birds of prey as a deterrent towards pigeons and other birds in the Aquatic Centre. Pigeons are a health and safety issue because the construction site needs to be kept as clear as possible. I have a two-hour morning shift at 6am and a two-hour night shift.
Track record: Falconry has been a hobby since childhood. I worked as an air-conditioning engineer until six years ago when I was given an opportunity to turn my hobby into a job. I worked for a London bus company where I would clear depots of pigeons.
Olympic victory: I don't know how I got the job - it must have been through word of mouth.
Park perks: I didn't get any tickets, but I'm hoping I will be there during the Games to keep pigeons away.
Long-distance: I don't know what life holds. It's been fantastic for my CV because everyone knows that you have to be special to work here. I hope it will lead to plenty of falconry jobs.
Site-souvenirs: I've got so many photographs because I'm proud to be a part of the Games in some way. When my children watch the swimming on telly next year, I can say: "Look. Dad sorted that out."

The artist-in-residence
Neville Gabie, 52

Job: Making the construction visible to a wider audience. Pieces will include a short film involving many of those working on the site.
Track record: I studied sculpture at the Royal College of Art. I then ran a project in a tower block with artists, writers and residents and went on to work as an artist on a building site for a shopping centre. My projects tend to be in response to sites and communities.
Olympic victory: There was a stringent application and interview process.
Park perks: The real perk has been meeting the people who've built the venues. When I was at the Aquatic Centre, I spent some time with the tilers and their skills are extraordinary. If the length of the pool is out by more than 5mm it doesn't qualify as an Olympic distance.
Long-distance: I think it will take some time to absorb all that's happened.
Site souvenirs: I've collected odd things. I've got a rickety, homemade saw bench from the stadium that I hope we will use in an exhibition.

The senior ecologist
Kim Olliver, 34

Job: My role was overseeing all the ecology work on the site. We had to translocate newts, toads, common lizards and fish to new homes. We also recreate some of the habitat types lost - we installed kingfisher nests and created new ponds.
Track record: A degree in environmental sciences then a masters in wildlife management and conservation. I worked for two environmental consultancies and then an engineering consultancy.
Olympic victory: I have been the ecology manager since 2006.
Park perks: I bid for tickets and didn't get any, which is upsetting, but I've been able to give friends and family personal tours of the park which they appreciated.
Long-distance: I'd like to get some international experience. I'd love to go to Brazil and do this job next Olympics.
Site souvenirs: We've been given lots of pin badges. I was given an environment sustainability one that are handed out to people who have done work on-site that has been appreciated.

The hard-hat chaplain
Kelvin Woolmer, 55

Job: My team and I have been here to support the workers. Closest comparison is to being an army padre. People who are away from home for long periods of time or even people who live locally often don't know where to take problems. So we lurk with a purpose in and around canteens and some office units.
Track record: I was a policeman. I became a Christian in 1987 after attending a church that had helped my wife deal with our eldest daughter having leukaemia. She went into remission and we started regularly attending services. In the mid-Nineties, a few people started asking if I'd ever considered being a vicar and I started training in 1998. I was ordained in June 2001 but was still working as a policeman.
Olympic victory: I'd retired from the police force when the archdeacon poked the role under my nose. They appointed me after an interview.
Park perks: I haven't got any tickets, but the perks have been fantastic. I've been able to help people who have really appreciated it.
Long-distance: Who knows? I have a big boss and he will decide.
Site souvenirs: I've taken photos, kept all my newspaper cuttings and on-site security passes to go into a frame. This is my piece of history.

The tour guide for the Olympic site
Steven Richards, 67

Job: I guide coach tours around the park, giving information about the venues and answering any questions they have. The coach holds 30 people and it lasts about an hour.
Track record: I left school quite young - I was a minister in South Wales, then Surrey and I am now one for a Baptist church in Homerton.
Olympic victory: The church is very close to the Olympic park, so we supported the bid as we felt it would be beneficial to the area. We were then invited to community meetings where they told us they needed people to run tours. We did a training course which ended with a written and practical exam.
Park perks: My wife and I celebrated our ruby wedding anniversary last year with a special coach tour of the site with all our friends and family.
Long-distance: The legacy company is looking for people to do tours after The Olympics and I would like to continue. The Games will be tremendous, but the legacy will be here for years to come and I would like to be a part of that.
Site souvenirs: I'm collecting 2012 mascot badges for my grandchildren.

The meadow-maker
Nigel Dunnett, 48

Job: I come up with an overall vision for plants across the park, particularly meadows. The most spectacular sights will be the Olympic gold meadows in the main stadium which are designed to be a circle of shining gold. As you move away from the stadium, they become more natural and look a lot like the ones you would see in the countryside.
Track record: I studied horticulture, garden design and plant science but I knew I wanted to end up bringing nature into cities. I'm also a professor and researcher of planting design at Sheffield University.
Olympic victory: We've specialised in derelict land for 15 years, so we were specifically invited to be part of the team.
Park perks: I bid for tickets, but didn't get any. There's no guarantee of seeing the park during the Games, but we've been able to see it evolve, which is a huge perk.
Long-distance: In the two years after the games, the park will be converted from an international festival site to a neighbourhood area. We're responsible for transforming the meadows into something on a smaller scale.
Site souvenirs: I've got stunning images of the meadows. That will stay with me for ever because it's a fantastic showcase for what I do.

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