Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet specializing in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
When the majority of Imperial students picture Silwood Park, they see a lush, mysterious, and green campus teeming with wildlife and vegetation that aren’t typically present at our other locations such as South Kensington or White City. In many ways, they’re spot on – every mental image of Silwood Park is spot on!
As someone representing this lesser-known segment of Imperial, I’d like to showcase the student experience, activities, and community within our natural parkland campus located in Ascot, Berkshire.
Welcome to Silwood Park
Silwood Park functions as Imperial’s outdoor lab, covering 77 hectares and featuring ecosystems such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” woodland, and sprawling grasslands. A quick search on iNaturalist, an application designed for mapping and sharing biodiversity observations worldwide with a network of naturalists, indicates that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus, while an additional search on eBird reveals 111 bird species identified on campus thus far.
More fascinatingly, Silwood Park hosts numerous long-term field research studies, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being two of the more notable initiatives carried out on-site.
Life as a Student at Silwood Park
The campus mainly accommodates postgraduate scholars focused on projects related to ecology, conservation, and evolution. Many of us participate in various clubs situated at Silwood Park. Some prominent examples include:
- Chicken Club – looking after the chickens kept behind our residence halls
- Book Club – frequently meeting to converse about literature of interest
- Gardening Club – overseeing the plots in our community garden
- Conservation Club – coordinating nature walks and conservation-oriented events for students on Silwood Park Campus.
As members of the broader Imperial student body, many of us also engage in activities from clubs in South Kensington!
Casually, we have groups involved in sports like badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my favorite!), which take place either on the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or at indoor sports facilities in surrounding towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Apart from club activities and classes, there are many community-driven events on campus. Silwood Park boasts its own student council that organizes and facilitates such activities, contributing to a lively and dynamic student life! Recently, we hosted the Silwood language exchange, where our largely international community united to share languages and cultures over several weeks, and we also celebrated our annual Chinese New Year at the beginning of the year, making dumplings and couplets to greet the new lunar year. We’ve also held community-led parties celebrating global events (like Carnival), or simply gatherings just for the joy of having a party.
However, my absolute favorite campus occasion is the weekly pub quiz, orchestrated by our student community. It’s a Silwood tradition that the quiz losers organize the next one, and I can proudly state that I hold the record for the most pub quizzes arranged this year. Despite losing many quizzes due to my lacking general trivia knowledge, there’s always great fun with wonderful friends and a good pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Second Home
Even though it’s a 30-minute stroll from the lively energy of civilization (e.g., the train station and the closest village), life at Silwood Park never seems monotonous or insufficient. Along with numerous happenings and activities, we have a friendly and inviting community filled with students from around the globe. We all share a love for nature, cherish our stunning campus grounds, and, more significantly, enjoy each other’s company. We’re a close community that appreciates stargazing in the winter chill on the open field next to our bar, observing the birds and mammals that visit us.