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UEL branches out with urban orchard

Thursday 27 October 2011

Apple trees being planted

A new ‘Urban Orchard’ has been unveiled at UEL’s Stratford campus to help promote growing fruit in urban areas.

The ‘freestanding’ orchard, so called because the trees are planted inside wooden barrels rather than in the ground, has been established as a permanent feature between University House and the Clinical Education Building.

The occasion was celebrated, appropriately enough, by the catering department laying on a special menu of apple-related dishes, with a blind taste-test of different types of British apple for those present at the planting.   

The trees will supply the University with plums, pears and cherries, and is the latest in a long line of ‘green’ initiatives promoted by the University, including a ‘winter vegetables’ plot planted by staff, an on-campus allotment club, and an ‘insect hotel’ built and maintained by students. 

Sara Kassam, UEL’s Energy and Environment Manager said: “It is wonderful that UEL, despite its urban location, is able to have a rich variety of plants and animals on campus. Fruit trees are especially well-suited to the urban environment as they can be grown on dwarfing rootstocks to fit smaller spaces and once settled in require very little maintenance. We are excited to see how soon students and staff will be able to harvest fruit straight off the tree.”

More information on UEL’s biodiversity projects can be found on the University’s Green Thing pages.

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Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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