Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When the majority of Imperial students contemplate Silwood Park, they picture a vibrant, enchanting, and verdant campus bustling with wildlife and plant life that are not typically found at our other campuses such as South Kensington or White City. In numerous respects, they are correct—and every depiction of Silwood Park holds true!
As a member of this lesser-known community within Imperial, I wish to shed light on the student experience, activities, and the community at our natural parkland campus located in Ascot, Berkshire.
An overview of Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor laboratory, encompassing 77 hectares and presenting diverse habitats like freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and expansive grasslands. A quick search on iNaturalist, an application for documenting and sharing biodiversity findings worldwide through a network of naturalists, indicates that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on the campus, while an additional search on eBird uncovers that 111 bird species have been documented to date.
Notably, Silwood Park is home to several long-term field research initiatives, with projects such as the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being among the most recognized conducted on the premises.
Life as a student at Silwood Park
The campus primarily accommodates postgraduate students who are keen on ecology, conservation, and evolution projects. Most of us engage in various clubs situated at Silwood Park. Some prominent examples include:
- Chicken Club – taking care of chickens raised behind our accommodation
- Book Club – meeting regularly to discuss intriguing books
- Gardening Club – overseeing the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – organizing nature walks and conservation activities for students on Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many of us also take part in activities organized by clubs located in South Kensington!
Casually, we have clubs that enjoy sports like badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), based either on the multi-use games area (MUGA) on campus or at indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
In addition to club activities and lessons, we host a variety of community-led events on campus. Silwood Park has its own student council that organizes and facilitates such events, ensuring a lively and dynamic student life! Recently, we held the Silwood language exchange, where our largely international community shared languages and cultures over several weeks, and our annual Chinese New Year festivity, where everyone made dumplings and couplets to celebrate the new lunar year. We’ve also hosted community-organized parties in honor of global celebrations (like Carnival) or simply for the joy of gatherings.
However, my favorite campus event is the weekly pub quiz, organized by our student community. It’s a Silwood tradition that the losing team of the pub quiz sets up the next one, and I can proudly claim the title for the highest number of pub quizzes arranged this year. Although I have lost many pub quizzes due to my inadequate general trivia knowledge, there’s always great enjoyment with great company and a good pint of beer.
Silwood Park: my second home
Even though it’s a 30-minute walk from the lively essence of civilization (e.g., the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never seemed monotonous or lacking. Beyond the myriad of events and activities, we enjoy a warm, friendly community of students from all corners of the globe. We all share a love for nature, our beautiful campus landscape, and, more importantly, each other’s company. We’re a tight-knit community that relishes stargazing in the winter chill in the open field beside our bar, observing the birds and mammals that visit our room windows, and spending time among fellow nature enthusiasts.
Most evenings