Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet specializing in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
When students from Imperial envision Silwood Park, they picture a lush, enigmatic, and green campus brimming with distinctive plant and animal life, unlike that commonly found on other campuses such as South Kensington or White City. In many ways, they are spot on—every portrayal of Silwood Park holds true!
As an ambassador of this lesser-known Imperial community, I aim to showcase the student experience, activities, and camaraderie at our natural parkland campus located in Ascot, Berkshire.
Welcome to Silwood Park
Silwood Park acts as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and comprising habitats such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” woodland, and open grasslands. A quick search on iNaturalist, an app for documenting and sharing observations of biodiversity worldwide within a naturalist community, uncovers that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus. Furthermore, a search on eBird indicates that 111 bird species have been noted on campus so far.
Moreover, Silwood Park is the venue for a variety of long-term field research endeavors, including the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project, both of which are among the more distinguished studies conducted on-site.
Student Experience at Silwood Park
The campus mainly accommodates postgraduate students keen on projects relating to ecology, conservation, and evolution. Many of us partake in various clubs based out of Silwood Park. Prominent examples include:
- Chicken Club – tending to the chickens kept behind our residence halls
- Book Club – meeting regularly to delve into books of interest
- Gardening Club – overseeing the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – coordinating nature walks and conservation initiatives for Silwood Park students
As members of the larger Imperial student community, many of us also engage in clubs located in South Kensington!
Casually, we have clubs participating in sports like badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), taking place either at the multi-use games area (MUGA) on campus or in indoor sports facilities in nearby towns such as Bracknell or Ascot.
In addition to club activities and classes, we have a wealth of community-driven events on campus. Silwood Park boasts its own student council that organizes and facilitates these gatherings, ensuring a lively and engaging student experience! Recently, we’ve hosted 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 crafted dumplings and couplets to ring in the new lunar year. We’ve also hosted community-organized parties celebrating global events (like Carnival) or simply for the joy of gatherings.
However, my favorite campus event is the weekly pub quiz, run by our student community. It’s a tradition at Silwood that the quiz losers set the next one, and I can boast the highest number of quizzes organized this year. Even though I often lose due to my lack of general trivia knowledge, there’s always fun to be had with good company and a pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Second Home
Even though it’s a 30-minute walk from the lively spirit of civilization (like the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park is never dull or lacking. With a plethora 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 importantly, each other’s company. We’re a close-knit group that delights in stargazing in the winter chill on the open field next to our pub, observing birds and mammals outside our windows, and sharing time with fellow nature enthusiasts.
Most evenings, I prepare meals with my dear friend from India, who shares my love