Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When students from Imperial think about Silwood Park, they picture a vibrant, enigmatic, and green campus brimming with distinctive plant and animal life, unlike what they encounter at South Kensington or White City. They are right – every depiction of Silwood Park holds true!
As a member of this lesser-known community at Imperial, I aim to shed light on the student experience, activities, and camaraderie at our natural parkland campus in Ascot, Berkshire.
Discovering Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor laboratory, covering 77 hectares and showcasing environments such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and open grasslands. A quick look at iNaturalist, a platform for documenting and sharing biodiversity observations worldwide with fellow naturalists, shows that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus. An inquiry on eBird reveals 111 bird species documented thus far.
Importantly, Silwood Park is home to numerous long-term field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being two significant studies taking place here.
Life as a Student at Silwood Park
The campus primarily accommodates postgraduate scholars interested in ecology, conservation, and evolution projects. We belong to various clubs located at Silwood Park, including:
- Chicken Club – looking after chickens kept behind our residence halls
- Book Club – convening regularly to discuss books of interest
- Gardening Club – tending to allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – coordinating nature walks and conservation events for Silwood Park students.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many of us also engage in clubs based in South Kensington!
Informally, we have sports clubs like badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), held at either the campus multi-use games arena (MUGA) or indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
In addition to club endeavors, we host many community-driven events on campus. Silwood Park features its own student council responsible for organizing and managing activities that cultivate an active student life. Recently, we conducted the Silwood language exchange, where our international community shared languages and cultures over several weeks, along with our annual Chinese New Year celebration, in which we made dumplings and couplets to usher in the new lunar year. We’ve also celebrated globally significant occasions such as Carnival and hosted parties simply for the joy of gathering.
My favorite campus activity is the weekly pub quiz hosted by our student community. It’s a Silwood tradition where the losers of the quiz set up the next one, and I proudly claim to have initiated the most quizzes this year. Although I have lost many quizzes due to lacking general trivia knowledge, it’s always enjoyable with great company and a pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Second Home
Even though it’s a 30-minute walk from town (such as the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park never feels dull or uninspired. Aside from the plethora of events and activities, we have a friendly, inviting community of students from across the globe. We all share a love for nature, our stunning campus, and, importantly, each other’s company. We are a tight-knit community relishing stargazing in the winter chill next to our bar, observing birds and mammals that visit our windows, and bonding with fellow nature enthusiasts.
Most evenings, I cook with my Indian friend who shares my passion for Asian cuisine and birdwatching. We are usually joined by friends living just a minute’s walk away in nearby residence halls. After dinner, we often play board games or watch movies together. Living on Silwood Park Campus is truly a reflection of a calm, serene, and idyllic lifestyle. In winter, this is complemented by the comforting warmth of