Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When students from Imperial think of Silwood Park, they picture a lush, enigmatic, and green campus brimming with exceptional flora and fauna, distinctly different from other campuses like South Kensington or White City. In many ways, they are correct—every portrayal of Silwood Park holds true!
As a representative of this lesser-known Imperial community, I seek to illuminate the student experience, activities, and community within our natural parkland campus located in Ascot, Berkshire.
Introducing Silwood Park
Silwood Park functions as Imperial’s outdoor laboratory, covering 77 hectares and encompassing habitats such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and open grasslands. A quick search on iNaturalist, an app dedicated to mapping and sharing biodiversity observations worldwide with an online community of naturalists, shows that 1,436 species of flora, fauna, and fungi have been recorded on campus. Moreover, eBird records indicate that 111 bird species have been documented on campus to date.
Interestingly, Silwood Park is home to numerous long-term field research initiatives, including the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project, which are among the more well-known projects conducted here.
Student Life at Silwood Park
The campus mainly houses postgraduate students engaged in ecology, conservation, and evolution initiatives. We frequently take part in various clubs based at Silwood Park. Notable examples include:
- Chicken Club – caring for chickens located behind our residence halls
- Book Club – frequently discussing selected books of interest
- Gardening Club – overseeing allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – organizing nature walks and conservation activities for students at Silwood Park.
As part of the broader Imperial student community, many of us also engage in clubs located in South Kensington!
Informally, we have sports clubs like badminton, basketball, and pickleball (which happens to be my personal favorite!), held either at the campus’s multi-use games arena (MUGA) or in indoor sports facilities in nearby towns such as Bracknell or Ascot.
In addition to club activities and classes, we host a variety of community-driven events on campus. Silwood Park features its own student council that organizes and facilitates such activities to ensure a lively and enjoyable student life! Recently, we hosted the Silwood language exchange, where our international community shared languages and cultures over several weeks, along with our annual Chinese New Year celebration, where we made dumplings and couplets to usher in the new lunar year. We’ve also had community-organized parties celebrating global events (like Carnival) or simply enjoying gatherings.
My favorite campus event is the weekly pub quiz, organized by our student community. It is a Silwood tradition that the quiz losers set up the next one, and I can proudly say I hold the record for the highest number of quizzes set this year. Despite losing many quizzes due to my limited general trivia knowledge, there’s always great fun with good company and a great pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Home Away from Home
Even though it’s a 30-minute walk from the lively atmosphere of civilization (e.g., the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park never feels dull or insufficient. Beyond countless events and activities, we share a friendly and inviting community of students from around the globe. We all cherish nature, our stunning campus grounds, and, most importantly, each other’s company. We’re a close-knit group that enjoys stargazing in the chilly winter on the open field next to our bar, watching the birds and mammals that visit our windows, and spending time with fellow nature enthusiasts.
Most evenings, I cook with my dear friend from India, who shares my passion for Asian cuisine and birdwatching. We are often joined by friends residing just a short walk away.