Composed by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When the majority of Imperial students picture Silwood Park, they imagine a vibrant, enigmatic, and green campus abundant with wildlife and flora seldom encountered at other locations such as South Kensington or White City. In numerous respects, they are correct – and every portrayal of Silwood Park holds true!
As a member of this lesser-known segment of Imperial, I wish to showcase the student experience, activities, and community at our natural parkland campus situated in Ascot, Berkshire.
A glimpse into Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and encompassing environments such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and expansive grasslands. A brief search on iNaturalist, an application for mapping and sharing global biodiversity observations with an online community of naturalists, uncovers 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 noted thus far.
More fascinatingly, Silwood Park is the venue for numerous long-term field research studies, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being two of the more recognized initiatives conducted at the location.
Life for students at Silwood Park
The campus largely accommodates postgraduate students keen on projects related to ecology, conservation, and evolution. Many of us are involved in various clubs based at Silwood Park. Some notable examples are:
- Chicken Club – who tend to the chickens raised behind our residence halls
- Book Club – who frequently meet to discuss interesting literature
- Gardening Club – who oversee the allotments in our communal garden
- Conservation Club – who organize nature treks and conservation activities for students on Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, several of us also engage in activities with clubs based in South Kensington!
Casually, we have clubs participating in sports such as 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.
Apart from club activities and classes, we host numerous community-led events on campus. Silwood Park has its own student council responsible for organizing and facilitating such functions to ensure a lively and engaging student experience! In recent times, we’ve embraced the Silwood language exchange, where our diverse international community united to share languages and cultures over several weeks, and we also celebrated our annual Chinese New Year at the start of the year, where everyone prepared dumplings and couplets to greet the new lunar year. We’ve additionally organized community parties to commemorate global events (like Carnival) or simply to celebrate cheerful gatherings.
However, my standout campus event must be the weekly pub quiz, organized by our student community. It’s a part of Silwood culture that the quiz losers are tasked with arranging the subsequent one, and I can proudly assert the highest tally of quizzes set this year. Despite failing many pub quizzes due to my limited general trivia knowledge, there’s always enjoyable moments with great company and a refreshing pint of beer.
Silwood Park: my second home
Although 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 appeared dull or deficient. Along with a myriad of events and activities, we enjoy a friendly and inviting community of students from around the globe. We all have a passion for nature, our stunning campus grounds, and, more importantly, each other’s companionship. We are a tight-knit community that delights in stargazing during the winter.