Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet focused on Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
When many Imperial students picture Silwood Park, they imagine a verdant, enigmatic, and green campus brimming with wildlife and vegetation not typically found at our other locations such as South Kensington or White City. In many respects, they are correct – every portrayal of Silwood Park holds true!
As an ambassador of this lesser-known Imperial community, I wish to illuminate the student lifestyle, events, and camaraderie at our natural parkland campus in Ascot, Berkshire.
Getting to know Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s open-air laboratory, encompassing 77 hectares and showcasing habitats such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and expansive grasslands. A quick search on iNaturalist, a platform for mapping and sharing biodiversity insights worldwide with a community of naturalists, reveals that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus, while an additional search on eBird indicates that 111 bird species have been identified to date.
Moreover, Silwood Park is the location of numerous long-term field research initiatives, with Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being two of the more prominent studies conducted on-site.
Life as a student at Silwood Park
The campus primarily accommodates postgraduate students engaged in projects related to ecology, conservation, and evolution. Many of us belong to various clubs based at Silwood Park. Noteworthy examples include:
- Chicken Club – responsible for the care of the chickens kept behind our residences
- Book Club – assembling regularly to discuss literature of interest from their reading list
- Gardening Club – overseeing the allotments within our community garden
- Conservation Club – organizing nature walks and conservation-oriented activities for students at Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the wider Imperial student body, several of us are also members of and actively engage in clubs based in South Kensington!
Casually, we also have groups that partake in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), which take place either on the multi-use games area (MUGA) on campus or at the indoor sports facilities located in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
In addition to club-related activities and lessons, we host various community-driven events on campus. Silwood Park features its own student council that organizes and facilitates these activities to ensure a lively and engaging student atmosphere! Recently, we hosted the Silwood language exchange, where our predominantly international community gathered to share languages and cultures over several weeks, as well as our annual Chinese New Year celebration at the beginning of the year, which brought everyone together to prepare dumplings and couplets to welcome the new lunar year. We’ve also seen community-led parties celebrating various occasions from around the globe (including Carnival), as well as parties simply for the joy of celebrating.
However, my favorite event on campus has to be the weekly pub quiz, coordinated by our student community. It’s part of Silwood culture that the losing team of the pub quiz is responsible for organizing the next one, and I can proudly say I hold the record for the most quizzes set this year. Although I’ve lost countless pub quizzes due to my lackluster general knowledge, there’s always plenty of fun to be had with great company and a good pint of beer.
Silwood Park: my second home
Even though it’s located a 30-minute stroll from the bustling heartbeat of civilization (e.g., the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never seemed dull or deprived. Beyond the myriad events and activities, we enjoy a friendly and inviting community made up of students from every corner of the globe. All of