Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When the majority of Imperial students consider Silwood Park, they picture a vibrant, enigmatic, and verdant campus bustling with wildlife and plants that are rare at other locations like South Kensington or White City. In many ways, they’re correct – every visualization of Silwood Park holds true!
As a representative of this lesser-known section of Imperial, I’d like to showcase the student experience, activities, and community at our natural parkland campus located in Ascot, Berkshire.
Welcome to Silwood Park
Silwood Park functions as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and encompassing ecosystems such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and open meadows. A swift search on iNaturalist, an application for mapping and sharing biodiversity observations globally with a community of naturalists, indicates that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus, while a query on eBird shows 111 bird species identified to date.
Even more fascinating, Silwood Park is home to several long-term field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being among the most recognized studies conducted here.
Student Life at Silwood Park
The campus mostly houses postgraduate students focused on ecology, conservation, and evolutionary studies. Many of us engage in various clubs based at Silwood Park. Some prominent examples include:
- Chicken Club – taking care of the chickens raised behind our residence halls
- Book Club – meeting regularly to discuss intriguing books
- Gardening Club – overseeing the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – arranging nature walks and conservation initiatives for Silwood Park students.
As part of the broader Imperial student community, many of us also take part in activities of clubs located in South Kensington!
Informally, we have clubs participating in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), based either at the multi-use games area (MUGA) on campus or at indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Alongside club activities and classes, we host numerous community-led events on campus. Silwood Park features its own student council that organizes and facilitates such happenings, ensuring a lively and engaging student life! Recently, we held the Silwood language exchange, where our predominantly international community shared languages and cultures over several weeks, and we welcomed the Lunar New Year at the beginning of the year, preparing dumplings and couplets to celebrate the new lunar year. We’ve also enjoyed community-organized gatherings celebrating global events (like Carnival) or simply for the joy of festivities.
My favorite campus event is the weekly pub quiz, run by our student community. It’s a part of Silwood tradition that the quiz losers arrange the next one, and I can proudly say I’ve set the highest number of quizzes this year. Despite struggling with many quizzes due to my limited general knowledge, there’s always great enjoyment in the company of friends and a good pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Second Home
Even though it’s a 30-minute walk from the vibrant energy of civilization (e.g., the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never seemed dull or lacking. Beyond the multitude of events and activities, we have a friendly and inviting community of students from around the globe. We all share a passion for nature, our stunning campus grounds, and, most importantly, each other’s company. We form a tight-knit community that cherishes stargazing in the winter chill on the open field beside our bar, observing the wildlife that visits our windows, and spending time with fellow nature enthusiasts.
Most evenings, I cook with my close friend from India, who shares my passion for Asian cuisine and birdwatching. We’re often joined by friends living just a short