Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet specializing in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
When many Imperial students picture Silwood Park, they see a vibrant, enigmatic, and green campus filled with wildlife and flora often absent from other locations like South Kensington or White City. In numerous aspects, they are correct – every visualization of Silwood Park holds true!
As a voice for this lesser-known community within Imperial, I wish to shed light on the student experience, activities, and community at our natural parkland campus located in Ascot, Berkshire.
An overview of Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, encompassing 77 hectares and showcasing ecosystems such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and expansive grasslands. A quick search on iNaturalist, a platform for documenting and sharing biodiversity observations globally among a community of naturalists, reveals that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus, while an additional query on eBird indicates that 111 bird species have been spotted here.
Moreover, Silwood Park is home to numerous long-term field research initiatives, with notable projects such as the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being conducted on-site.
Life as a student at Silwood Park
The campus primarily hosts postgraduate students focused on ecology, conservation, and evolutionary studies. Most of us engage in various clubs based at Silwood Park. Prominent examples include:
- Chicken Club – dedicated to caring for the chickens located behind our residence halls
- Book Club – who frequently meet to discuss captivating literature
- Gardening Club – overseeing the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – organizing nature walks and conservation events for students at Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many of us also get involved in clubs operating in South Kensington!
Casually, we have groups participating in sports like badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), utilizing either the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Apart from club engagements and academic lessons, we host numerous community-driven events on campus. Silwood Park boasts its own student council that organizes and coordinates these activities, ensuring a dynamic and lively student life! Recently, we held the Silwood language exchange, allowing our predominantly international community to share languages and cultures over several weeks, and we celebrated Chinese New Year at the beginning of the year by making dumplings and couplets to welcome the new lunar year. We’ve also hosted community-organized parties celebrating global events (such as Carnival) or simply for the pleasure of gathering.
My cherished campus event, however, must be the weekly pub quiz run by our student community. It’s a part of Silwood culture that the losers of the pub quiz must arrange the next one, and I can proudly say I’ve set the highest number of pub quizzes this year. Despite my frequent losses in pub quizzes due to my lacking general knowledge, there’s always enjoyment with great company and a refreshing pint of beer.
Silwood Park: my second home
Even though it’s a 30-minute stroll from the lively atmosphere of civilization (like the train station and the closest village), life at Silwood Park has never felt dull or deficient. Beyond the myriad of events and activities, we enjoy a friendly and inviting community made up of students from across the globe. We all share a love for nature, our beautiful campus, and, most importantly, each other’s companionship. We are a tight-knit community that relishes stargazing in the winter chill in the open field next to our bar, watching the birds and mammals that visit our windows.