Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When Imperial scholars envision Silwood Park, they picture a verdant, enigmatic, and green campus rich with distinctive flora and fauna, setting it apart from other locations like South Kensington or White City. In many ways, their perceptions are accurate—each portrayal of Silwood Park holds true!
As a member of this lesser-known segment of the Imperial community, my goal is to showcase the student experience, activities, and community at our natural parkland campus located in Ascot, Berkshire.
Introducing Silwood Park
Silwood Park acts as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and featuring diverse habitats such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and expansive grasslands. A brief exploration on iNaturalist, an app designed for mapping and sharing biodiversity observations worldwide with naturalists, shows that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus. Furthermore, eBird indicates that 111 bird species have been logged on campus up to this point.
Even more fascinating, Silwood Park is home to numerous long-term field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being two of the most recognized studies conducted here.
Student Life at Silwood Park
The campus mainly serves postgraduate students pursuing interests in ecology, conservation, and evolution projects. Many of us engage in several clubs located at Silwood Park. Some notable examples include:
- Chicken Club – taking care of chickens raised behind our residence halls
- Book Club – meeting regularly to discuss books of interest
- Gardening Club – tending to the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – arranging nature walks and conservation events for Silwood Park students.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many of us also join and actively take part in clubs based in South Kensington!
Informally, we have groups involved in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), taking place either in the multi-use games area (MUGA) on campus or in indoor sports halls in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Apart from club activities and classes, we organize numerous community-led events on campus. Silwood Park boasts its own student council that manages and facilitates these activities, ensuring a lively and engaging student atmosphere! Recently, we hosted the Silwood language exchange, where our primarily international community shared languages and cultures over several weeks, and we celebrated Chinese New Year at the beginning of the year, making dumplings and couplets to usher in the new lunar year. We’ve also enjoyed community-organized parties celebrating global events (like Carnival) or simply for the joy of celebration.
My favorite campus event is the weekly pub quiz, arranged by our student community. It’s a Silwood tradition that the losers of the pub quiz host the next one, and I can proudly say I have set up the most pub quizzes this year. Despite facing defeats due to my limited general trivia knowledge, there’s always enjoyment to be had in good company and a nice pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Home Away from Home
Even though it’s a 30-minute walk from bustling civilization (e.g., the train station and the closest village), life at Silwood Park never seems dull or uneventful. Beyond the countless events and activities, we foster a kind and inviting community of students from across the globe. We all appreciate nature, our stunning campus grounds, and most significantly, each other’s companionship. We’re a close-knit group that relishes stargazing in the winter chill on the open field adjacent to our bar, observing the birds and mammals that visit our windows, and spending time with fellow nature lovers.
Most evenings, I prepare meals with my dear friend from India, who shares my