Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet specializing in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
When the majority of Imperial students consider Silwood Park, they picture a vibrant, enigmatic, and verdant campus bustling with wildlife and vegetation not typically found at other locations such as South Kensington or White City. In many respects, they’re correct – every depiction of Silwood Park holds true!
As a voice from this lesser-known segment within Imperial, I aim to showcase the student experience, activities, and community at our natural parkland campus located in Ascot, Berkshire.
A glimpse into Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor laboratory, covering 77 hectares and incorporating habitats such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” woodland, and expansive grasslands. A quick inquiry on iNaturalist, an application designed for mapping and sharing biodiversity observations with a global online community of naturalists, reveals that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on our campus. An additional search on eBird indicates that 111 bird species have been documented on the grounds to date.
Moreover, Silwood Park is a focal point for numerous long-term field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being among the more recognized studies undertaken here.
Student life at Silwood Park
The campus primarily accommodates postgraduate scholars keen on projects related to ecology, conservation, and evolution. Most of us belong to a variety of clubs based at Silwood Park. Noteworthy examples include:
- Chicken Club – responsible for caring for the chickens raised behind our residence halls
- Book Club – which meets regularly to discuss interesting titles from their reading list
- Gardening Club – managing the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – organizing nature walks and conservation-oriented activities for students at Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student community, many of us are also engaged in clubs in South Kensington and participate in their activities!
Casually, we have clubs that partake in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), utilizing either the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or indoor sports facilities in neighboring towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
In addition to club activities and lectures, our campus hosts numerous community-driven events. Silwood Park boasts its own student council that coordinates and facilitates such gatherings to maintain an energetic and engaging student life! Recently, we held the Silwood language exchange, which brought our largely international community together to share languages and cultures over several weeks. We also celebrated our annual Chinese New Year at the start of the year, where everyone collaborated to create dumplings and couplets to usher in the new lunar year. Additionally, we organized community events celebrating global festivities (like Carnival) or simply parties held for the joy of gathering.
However, my favorite campus event has to be the weekly pub quiz, organized by our student community. It’s become part of Silwood culture that the team with the lowest score in the pub quiz must arrange the next one, and I can proudly say I’ve set the most pub quizzes this year. Even though I’ve lost many pub quizzes due to my limited general trivia knowledge, it’s always a great time with good friends and a refreshing pint of beer.
Silwood Park: my second home
Although it’s a 30-minute stroll from the bustling energy of civilization (e.g., the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never seemed dull or insufficient. Alongside the countless events and activities, we enjoy a friendly and inviting community comprising students from across the globe. We all share a passion for nature, cherish our