Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet focused on Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When the majority of Imperial students picture Silwood Park, they see a lush, mysterious, and green campus bustling with wildlife and plants seldom found at other locations like South Kensington or White City. In many ways, they are accurate – every vision of Silwood Park is true!
As a spokesperson for this lesser-known group within Imperial, I intend to showcase the student experience, activities, and community available at our natural parkland campus in Ascot, Berkshire.
A Glimpse into Silwood Park
Silwood Park acts as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and incorporating habitats such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and open pastures. A quick inquiry on iNaturalist, an application designed for mapping and sharing global biodiversity observations among a social network of naturalists, indicates that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus, and an additional search on eBird confirms that 111 bird species have been documented on campus thus far.
Even more fascinating, Silwood Park is home to numerous long-term field research endeavors, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being two of the most notable studies conducted on-site.
Life as a Student at Silwood Park
The campus predominantly accommodates postgraduate students focused on ecology, conservation, and evolution ventures. Many of us engage in several clubs situated at Silwood Park. Some notable examples include:
- Chicken Club – attending to the chickens raised behind our residences
- Book Club – meeting regularly to discuss books of interest
- Gardening Club – overseeing the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – organizing nature walks and conservation-related activities for students on Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many of us also take part in the activities of clubs based in South Kensington!
Casually, we have clubs that partake in sports like badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), utilizing either the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
In addition to club activities and classes, we host many community-driven events on campus. Silwood Park has its own student council that organizes and facilitates such events, guaranteeing a lively and stimulating student experience! Recently, we’ve enjoyed the Silwood language exchange, where our predominantly international community shared languages and cultures over several weeks, and we also commemorated Chinese New Year with dumplings and couplets to usher in the new lunar year. We have also celebrated community-organized parties recognizing global festivities (like Carnival) or simply for the joy of gathering.
However, my favorite campus event is the weekly pub quiz, coordinated by our student community. It’s a part of Silwood culture that the quiz losers host the next one, and I can boast about having set the most quizzes this year. Despite failing numerous quizzes due to my lack of general knowledge, there’s always enjoyment to be found with good company and a nice pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Second Home
Even though it’s a 30-minute stroll from the lively atmosphere of civilization (e.g., the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never seemed boring or unfulfilling. In addition to the many events and activities, we have a friendly and inclusive community of students from around the globe. We all appreciate nature, treasure our beautiful campus landscape, and, most importantly, enjoy spending time together. We’re a tight-knit community that relishes stargazing in the winter chill on the open field beside our bar, observing the birds and mammals that visit our windows, and enjoying time among fellow nature enthusiasts.