Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When many Imperial students picture Silwood Park, they see a verdant, enigmatic campus brimming with flora and fauna rarely found at other locations such as South Kensington or White City. In several respects, they’re correct – every depiction of Silwood Park holds true!
As a member of this more obscure community within Imperial, I wish to emphasize the student experience, engagements, and camaraderie at our natural parkland campus in Ascot, Berkshire.
An overview of Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and showcasing environments like freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” woodland, and expansive grasslands. A simple inquiry on iNaturalist, an application for documenting and sharing biodiversity observations globally within a network of naturalists, shows that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus. A further check on eBird indicates that 111 bird species have been noted on campus to date.
Moreover, Silwood Park is home to numerous extended field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project standing out as two of the more prominent studies conducted on-site.
Life as a student at Silwood Park
The campus mainly accommodates postgraduate scholars focused on ecology, conservation, and evolution endeavors. Most of us actively participate in various clubs situated at Silwood Park. Noteworthy examples include:
- Chicken Club – caring for the chickens raised behind our residence halls
- Book Club – regularly engaging in discussions about intriguing reads
- Gardening Club – tending to the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – arranging nature walks and conservation initiatives for students on Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many of us also engage in activities from clubs located in South Kensington!
Casually, we have groups involved in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), played either at the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or in indoor sports facilities in surrounding towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
In addition to club activities and classes, numerous community-driven events take place on campus. Silwood Park has its own student council that organizes and promotes such activities to ensure an energetic and enjoyable student experience! Recently, we hosted the Silwood language exchange, where our predominantly international community shared languages and cultures over several weeks. We also marked Chinese New Year with dumplings and couplets to welcome the new lunar year. Community-organized gatherings celebrating global events (like Carnival) or simply for the joy of festivities have also occurred.
My most cherished campus event is the weekly pub quiz, coordinated by our student community. It’s a Silwood tradition that the quiz losers arrange the next one, and I can proudly declare that I have set the most pub quizzes this year. Even though I’ve lost plenty of quizzes due to my inadequate general trivia knowledge, there’s always great enjoyment with wonderful company and a good pint of beer.
Silwood Park: my home away from home
Though just a 30-minute walk from lively civilization (like the train station and the closest village), life at Silwood Park has never felt dull or lacking. Beyond the plethora of events and activities, we have a friendly and inviting community of students from around the globe. We all appreciate nature, our stunning campus grounds, and, more importantly, each other’s company. We’re a tight-knit community that enjoys stargazing in the winter chill on the open field next to our bar, watching birds and mammals grace our room windows, and socializing with fellow nature enthusiasts.
Most evenings, I prepare meals with my dear friend from India, who shares my passion for Asian cuisine and birdwatching. We’re often joined by friends living just a short walk away in