Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet specializing in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When the majority of Imperial students envision Silwood Park, they picture a verdant, enigmatic, and green campus bustling with flora and fauna rarely found at other campuses like South Kensington or White City. In many respects, they are correct – every representation of Silwood Park holds true!
As a member of this lesser-known segment of the Imperial community, I wish to emphasize the student experiences, events, and camaraderie at our natural parkland campus situated in Ascot, Berkshire.
A glimpse of Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and showcasing ecosystems such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” woodland, and expansive grasslands. A quick search on iNaturalist, an application that facilitates mapping and sharing biodiversity observations globally within an online naturalists’ social network, reveals that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus. An additional search on eBird indicates that 111 bird species have been recorded on campus to date.
Even more fascinating, Silwood Park hosts numerous long-term field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being among the more recognized studies conducted on-site.
Student life at Silwood Park
The campus predominantly accommodates postgraduate students with interests in ecology, conservation, and evolution-related projects. Many of us belong to various clubs based at Silwood Park. Some notable examples include:
- Chicken Club – responsible for the care of the chickens raised behind our residential halls
- Book Club – who meet regularly to converse about books from their reading selections
- Gardening Club – managing the allotments within our community garden
- Conservation Club – who arrange nature walks and conservation-oriented activities for students at Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many of us are also active members and frequently engage in activities of clubs based in South Kensington!
Additionally, we have informal clubs that participate in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), based either at the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or at the indoor sports facilities located in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Alongside club activities and classes, we host many student-led events on campus. Silwood Park has its very own student council that coordinates and promotes such events to enhance our vibrant and engaging student life! Recently, we held the Silwood language exchange, where our predominantly international community united to share our languages and cultures over several weeks, along with our annual Chinese New Year celebration at the beginning of the year, where everyone gathered to prepare dumplings and couplets to welcome the new lunar year. We’ve also celebrated community-organized parties for various global festivities (such as Carnival) or parties simply for the joy of celebration.
My favorite event on campus, however, must be the weekly pub quiz, put on by our student community. It’s a part of Silwood culture that the quiz losers are responsible for hosting the next one, and I can proudly assert that I hold the record for the highest number of pub quizzes organized this year. Despite losing countless pub quizzes due to my inadequate general knowledge, there’s always a good time to be had with enjoyable company and a refreshing pint of beer.
Silwood Park: my home away from home
Even though it is a 30-minute walk from the bustling energy of civilization (such as the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never felt boring or unfulfilling. In addition to the many events and activities, we enjoy a friendly and inviting community made up of students