Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet specializing in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When the majority of Imperial students picture Silwood Park, they imagine a vibrant, enigmatic, and verdant campus bustling with wildlife and vegetation not often found at other locations such as South Kensington or White City. In many respects, they are correct – every representation of Silwood Park is true to form!
As a member of this lesser-known Imperial community, I’d like to emphasize the student experience, activities, and community at our natural parkland campus in Ascot, Berkshire.
An overview of Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s external laboratory, covering 77 hectares and encompassing environments such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and open grasslands. A straightforward inquiry on iNaturalist, an application for cataloging and sharing biodiversity observations worldwide through an online naturalist community, indicates that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus, while an additional search on eBird reveals that 111 bird species have been noted thus far.
Furthermore, Silwood Park is home to numerous long-term field research initiatives, including the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project, two prominent studies conducted on the premises.
Student experience at Silwood Park
The campus mainly accommodates postgraduate scholars interested in ecology, conservation, and evolutionary research. Many of us actively engage in several clubs based at Silwood Park. Noteworthy examples comprise:
- Chicken Club – caring for chickens reared behind our student residences
- Book Club – regularly engaging in discussions about interesting reads
- Gardening Club – overseeing the allotments within our community garden
- Conservation Club – coordinating nature walks and conservation efforts for Silwood Park students.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, numerous members also take part in activities from clubs located in South Kensington!
Informally, we have clubs participating in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (which is my personal favorite!), occurring either at the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or at indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Apart from club activities and lectures, many community-driven events take place on campus. Silwood Park possesses its own student council that organizes and facilitates these events, ensuring a lively and dynamic student experience! Recently, we held the Silwood language exchange, where our international community exchanged languages and cultures over several weeks, as well as our annual Chinese New Year celebration, where we made dumplings and couplets to usher in the new lunar year. We’ve also hosted community-organized parties celebrating global festivities (such as Carnival) or simply for the joy of gathering.
My favorite campus occasion is the weekly pub quiz, arranged by our student community. It’s part of Silwood tradition that the quiz losers are responsible for organizing the next one, and I can proudly assert I’ve set the highest number of quizzes this year. Despite losing numerous quizzes due to my limited general knowledge, it’s always a delightful time with great company and a refreshing pint of beer.
Silwood Park: my second home
Even though it’s a 30-minute walk from bustling civilization (like the train station and the closest village), life at Silwood Park never feels ordinary or lacking. Beyond the multitude of events and activities, we enjoy a warm and inviting community of students from across the globe. We all cherish nature, our stunning campus grounds, and, most notably, each other’s company. We’re a close-knit group that enjoys stargazing in the winter chill on the open field adjacent to our bar, observing birds and mammals through our room windows, and spending time among fellow nature enthusiasts.
Most evenings, I cook with my close friend from India, who shares my passion for Asian cuisine and birdwatching. We’re often accompanied by friends living a