Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When most students at Imperial picture Silwood Park, they see a vibrant, enchanting, and lush campus alive with plant and animal life that is seldom found at other locations like South Kensington or White City. In many ways, they are right—every mental image of Silwood Park truly reflects reality!
As an ambassador for this lesser-known community within Imperial, I would like to emphasize the student experience, activities, and camaraderie present within our nature-centered campus in Ascot, Berkshire.
Welcome to Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and boasting environments such as freshwater rivers, lakes, an “ancient” woodland, and expansive meadows. A quick search on iNaturalist, an application dedicated to documenting and sharing biodiversity observations worldwide within an online community of naturalists, shows that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on our campus. Additionally, an exploration on eBird indicates that 111 bird species have been noted on campus thus far.
Of particular interest, Silwood Park also hosts numerous long-term field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being among the more recognized studies conducted in this location.
Student Experience at Silwood Park
The campus mainly accommodates postgraduate students passionate about ecology, conservation, and evolutionary research. Many of us take part in various clubs situated at Silwood Park. Some noteworthy examples are:
- Chicken Club – responsible for caring for the chickens housed behind our residence halls
- Book Club – consistently meeting to talk about interesting books
- Gardening Club – overseeing the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – planning nature excursions and conservation activities for students at Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, a significant number of us also engage in activities of clubs located in South Kensington!
Casually, we have clubs participating in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), held either in 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 coursework, numerous community-organized events take place on campus. Silwood Park has its own student council that coordinates and manages such events, ensuring an engaging and dynamic student life! Recently, we held the Silwood language exchange, where our largely international community shared diverse languages and cultures over several weeks, along with our annual Chinese New Year celebration at the beginning of the year, where everyone united to prepare dumplings and couplets to greet the new lunar year. We’ve also celebrated community-arranged parties for worldwide events (such as Carnival) or simply gatherings for the joy of celebration.
My favorite campus event, however, remains the weekly pub quiz, orchestrated by our student community. It’s a unique aspect of Silwood culture that the team losing the quiz must organize the next one, and I can proudly state I hold the record for the most quizzes set this year. Even though I’ve lost numerous quizzes due to my lacking trivia knowledge, there’s always delightful fun to be had in great company with a refreshing pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Sanctuary Away from Home
Even though it is a 30-minute stroll from the bustling energy of civilization (for example, the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never been dull or lacking in excitement. In addition to countless events and activities, we have a friendly and accommodating community made up of students from around the globe. We all cherish nature, our stunning campus, and, most importantly, one another’s companionship. We are a tightly-knit community that enjoys stargazing in the chilly winter on the open field beside our bar, watching