Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When the majority of Imperial students consider Silwood Park, they picture a vibrant, enchanting, and verdant campus filled with wildlife and flora that are rarely found on other campuses such as South Kensington or White City. In many respects, they are correct – every depiction of Silwood Park is accurate!
As a representative of this lesser-known faction at Imperial, I wish to emphasize the student experience, activities, and community at our natural parkland campus located in Ascot, Berkshire.
An Overview of Silwood Park
Silwood Park functions as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and incorporating habitats like freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and expansive grasslands. A quick search on iNaturalist, an app dedicated to documenting and sharing biodiversity observations worldwide, indicates 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi recorded on campus, while a search on eBird discloses 111 bird species cataloged to date.
Significantly, Silwood Park is home to numerous long-term field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project recognized as two of the more notable studies conducted onsite.
Student Experience at Silwood Park
The campus predominantly accommodates postgraduate students pursuing interests in ecology, conservation, and evolution research. Many of us engage in various clubs operating at Silwood Park. Some prominent examples include:
- Chicken Club – tending to the chickens located behind our residence halls
- Book Club – engaging in discussions about interesting literature
- Gardening Club – taking care of the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – arranging nature walks and conservation initiatives for Silwood Park students.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many of us also take part in activities of clubs based in South Kensington!
In an informal capacity, we have clubs that engage in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), which take place either on the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or at indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
In addition to club activities and classes, we host various community-driven events on campus. Silwood Park has its own student council that organizes and facilitates such activities, ensuring a lively and dynamic student life! Recently, we’ve experienced the Silwood language exchange, where our predominantly international community exchanged languages and cultures over several weeks, as well as our annual Chinese New Year celebration, where everyone joined forces to prepare dumplings and couplets to welcome the new lunar year. We’ve also organized community parties celebrating global events (such as Carnival) or just for the joy of socializing.
However, my favorite campus event has to be the weekly pub quiz, arranged by our student community. It’s a Silwood tradition that the quiz losers host the next one, and I can proudly declare the highest number of quizzes set this year. Despite losing many quizzes due to my inadequate general trivia knowledge, there’s always plenty of enjoyment in the company of friends and a good pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Home Away From Home
Even though it’s a 30-minute walk from bustling civilization (for instance, the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never seemed monotonous or lacking. Beyond the multitude of events and activities, we have a friendly and inviting community of students from across the globe. We all cherish nature, our picturesque campus grounds, and, most importantly, each other’s company. We’re a tight-knit community that enjoys stargazing in the chilly winter on the open field adjacent to our bar, observing the birds and mammals that visit our room windows, and spending time with fellow nature enthusiasts.
Most evenings, I prepare meals with my dear friend from India, who shares my passion for Asian cuisine and