Apple trees, new planters, and a greener place to call home

This Earth Week, your halls got a little greener and a lot more exciting. 

As part of UAL's 2026 Earth Week programme, two of our halls have seen some brilliant new planting take root, reflecting our ongoing commitment to sustainability and improving the spaces you live in.

An orchard at Portland House

Around 15 students, staff and residents came together at Portland House to plant five young apple trees - and it's no small deal. UAL is one of the first universities in the country to join the Veolia Orchard Scheme, a national network of over 1,995 trees. The trees have come all the way from Grow at Brogdale in Kent, already standing between 1.2m and 1.5m tall, and in the years ahead they'll grow to three metres, producing real, harvestable apples.

After an hour of hard work with spades and gardening gloves, everyone celebrated with apple pie and apple juice, a fitting reward!

Orchards have been a part of life in the UK for nearly 3,000 years, but their numbers have fallen dramatically. In the last 70 years, orchard land has shrunk from 80,000 to just 20,000 hectares which is the equivalent of losing 147,600 football fields. By welcoming these trees into our halls, we're playing a small but meaningful part in reversing that trend.

Planting at Archwood House

Over at Archwood House, our Residence Managers have been working with UAL's Sustainability team to refresh the planters at the front entrance, courtyard and loading yard. New plants have been introduced to brighten the space and create a more welcoming environment, while climbing plants have been added to the courtyard to bring visual interest and a sense of structure and life to the space. A young tree has also been replanted into a more spacious bed, giving it room to properly grow.

The result is a livelier, greener space that's as good for the planet as it is for the people who live there.

Why it matters

Greenery isn't just nice to look at - access to plants and natural spaces has a real, proven impact on wellbeing. These projects also support UAL's wider ambitions around biodiversity and sustainability, and they're part of our ongoing commitment to making your halls somewhere you're proud to call home. 

👉 Learn about UAL's Climate Action Plan.