Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc in Living Planet specializing in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
When students from Imperial picture Silwood Park, they see a verdant, enigmatic, and green campus bursting with distinct plant and animal life, which sets it apart from other campuses such as South Kensington or White City. In many ways, they are spot on—each vision painted of Silwood Park is true!
As a voice for this lesser-known faction of the Imperial community, I seek to shed light on the student experience, events, and community at our natural parkland campus located in Ascot, Berkshire.
Welcome to Silwood Park
Silwood Park functions as Imperial’s outdoor research hub, covering 77 hectares and showcasing environments like freshwater streams, ponds, an “ancient” woodland, and expansive grasslands. A quick exploration on iNaturalist, a platform for cataloging and sharing biodiversity observations with a global community of naturalists, shows that 1,436 different species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus. Furthermore, eBird indicates that 111 bird species have been logged on the premises.
Notably, Silwood Park also hosts numerous long-term field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being among the most recognized studies conducted here.
Life as a Student at Silwood Park
The campus mainly accommodates postgraduate students engaged in ecology, conservation, and evolutionary studies. Many of us participate in several clubs that operate from Silwood Park. Some of the key examples are:
- Chicken Club – responsible for tending to the chickens kept behind our dormitories
- Book Club – frequently discussing captivating reads
- Gardening Club – overseeing plots in our community garden
- Conservation Club – arranging nature walks and conservation initiatives for Silwood Park students.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many of us also take part in activities of clubs based in South Kensington!
Informally, we have groups that engage in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), conducted at either the multi-use sports area (MUGA) on campus or in indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
In addition to club activities and classes, we organize a variety of community-driven events on campus. Silwood Park has its own student council that orchestrates and facilitates these happenings, creating a lively and dynamic student life! Recently, we launched the Silwood language exchange, where our international community exchanged languages and cultures over several weeks, as well as our annual Chinese New Year celebration, where everyone came together to prepare dumplings and couplets to usher in the new lunar year. We’ve also hosted community-organized gatherings to celebrate global festivities (like Carnival) or simply for the joy of parties.
My favorite event on campus is the weekly pub quiz, arranged by our student community. It’s a Silwood tradition that those who lose the quiz organize the next one, and I can proudly state I’ve set the highest number of pub quizzes this year. Despite often losing due to my limited general knowledge, the experience is always enjoyable with excellent company and a good pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Second Home
Even though it’s situated a 30-minute walk from the lively pulse of town (e.g., the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never seemed dull or insufficient. Alongside a multitude of events and activities, we possess a friendly and inclusive community of students from all corners of the globe. We share a love for nature, treasure our stunning campus grounds, and, most importantly, relish each other’s companionship. We are a tightly-knit community that finds joy in stargazing during the cold winter nights on the open field adjacent to our bar, observing the birds and mammals that visit our windows, and enjoying the company of fellow nature enthusiasts.
Most evenings, I share cooking sessions with my dear friend from India, who shares my passion for