Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet focusing on Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
When the majority of Imperial students picture Silwood Park, they imagine a verdant, enigmatic, and green campus overflowing with wildlife and flora not frequently found on other campuses like South Kensington or White City. In numerous ways, they are correct – every depiction of Silwood Park holds true!
As a member of this lesser-known Imperial enclave, I aim to showcase the student experience, activities, and community within our natural parkland campus located in Ascot, Berkshire.
Discovering Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and boasting environments such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” woodland, and expansive grasslands. A quick search on iNaturalist, an application for cataloging and sharing biodiversity observations globally with a network of naturalists, indicates that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus, while an additional inquiry on eBird lists 111 bird species noted thus far.
Additionally, Silwood Park is home to several long-term field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being two of the more distinguished studies conducted on-site.
Campus Life at Silwood Park
The campus primarily serves postgraduate students who are passionate about ecology, conservation, and evolutionary studies. Most of us engage in various clubs based at Silwood Park. Noteworthy examples encompass:
- Chicken Club – tending to the chickens raised behind our living quarters
- Book Club – frequently meeting to discuss engaging literature
- Gardening Club – overseeing the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – arranging nature walks and conservation efforts for Silwood Park students.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many of us also take part in clubs in South Kensington!
Casually, we have clubs for sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), operating either on the multi-use games area (MUGA) on campus or at indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Apart from club engagements and educational pursuits, there are numerous community-led occasions on campus. Silwood Park has its own student council that organizes and facilitates these activities, ensuring a dynamic and lively student life! Recently, we hosted the Silwood language exchange, where our predominantly international community exchanged languages and cultures over several weeks, and our yearly Chinese New Year gathering, where everyone united to make dumplings and couplets to celebrate the new lunar year. Community-organized festivities also take place, celebrating global events (such as Carnival) or simply for the joy of partying.
My favorite event on campus is the weekly pub quiz, arranged by our student community. It’s part of Silwood tradition that the teams who lose the pub quiz are responsible for setting up the next one, and I can proudly say I hold the record for the highest number of quizzes organized this year. Despite my limited general knowledge resulting in various defeats, there’s always great enjoyment with wonderful company and a refreshing pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Second Home
Even though it’s a 30-minute walk from the vibrant energy of the outside world (e.g., the train station and the closest village), life at Silwood Park has never been dull or unfulfilling. Alongside a plethora of events and activities, we enjoy a friendly and inclusive community of students from various parts of the globe. We all appreciate nature, treasure our stunning campus grounds, and, perhaps most importantly, value each other’s companionship. We’re a tight-knit community that takes pleasure in stargazing during the chilly winter nights on the open fields beside our bar, observing the birds and mammals that visit our windows, and sharing moments with fellow nature enthusiasts.
Most evenings, I prepare meals with my dear friend from India, who