Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet specializing in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When many students at Imperial envision Silwood Park, they picture a verdant, intriguing, and green campus filled with distinctive flora and fauna, contrasting sharply with our other campuses like South Kensington or White City. In many ways, they are spot on – every image of Silwood Park that comes to mind is indeed true!
As a voice from this lesser-known sector of Imperial, I would like to bring attention to the student experience, activities, and community present within our natural parkland campus in Ascot, Berkshire.
An Introduction to Silwood Park
Silwood Park functions as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and accommodating habitats such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” woodland, and expansive grasslands. A brief search on iNaturalist, an app used for cataloging and sharing biodiversity sightings globally with a network of naturalists, shows that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus. Furthermore, a search on eBird indicates that 111 species of birds have been noted on the premises so far.
Notably, Silwood Park hosts numerous long-term field research initiatives, including the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project, which are among the more celebrated projects carried out on-site.
Life as a Student at Silwood Park
The campus mainly accommodates postgraduate students engaged in ecology, conservation, and evolutionary projects. Many of us partake in various clubs based at Silwood Park. Some noteworthy examples include:
- Chicken Club – tending to the chickens that are raised behind our residence halls
- Book Club – regularly convening to discuss interesting reads
- Gardening Club – overseeing the allotments within our community garden
- Conservation Club – arranging nature walks and conservation efforts for students at Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many of us also engage in activities offered by clubs located in South Kensington!
On an informal note, we have clubs participating in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), based either at the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or at indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Apart from club activities and lessons, we host many community-organized events on campus. Silwood Park has its own student council that facilitates such activities, contributing to a lively and engaging student life! Recently, we hosted the Silwood language exchange, where our largely international student body gathered to share languages and cultures over several weeks. We also marked the annual Chinese New Year at the beginning of the year by making dumplings and couplets to welcome the new lunar year. We have also organized community parties celebrating global occasions (like Carnival) or simply for the joy of celebration.
My favorite event on campus, though, is the weekly pub quiz, organized by our student community. It’s a Silwood tradition that the losers of the pub quiz are responsible for setting up the next quiz, and I can proudly state that I have organized the most pub quizzes this year. Despite losing many pub quizzes due to my less-than-stellar general knowledge, there’s always a great time to be had with good friends and a nice pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Home Away from Home
Even though it’s a 30-minute stroll from the bustling energy of civilization (e.g., the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never felt drab or uninteresting. Beyond the myriad events and activities, we’re part of a warm and inviting community made up of students from all corners of the world. We all have a passion for nature, appreciate our lovely campus grounds, and, most importantly, enjoy each other’s company. We are a close-knit group that relishes stargazing in the winter chill on the wide field next to our bar, observing the birds