Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When most Imperial students envision Silwood Park, they picture a vibrant, enchanting, and green campus alive with wildlife and flora seldom found at other locations such as South Kensington or White City. In many respects, they are correct – every portrayal of Silwood Park holds true!
As a member of this lesser-known segment of Imperial, I wish to emphasize the student experience, activities, and community at our natural environment campus in Ascot, Berkshire.
A glimpse of Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and hosting ecosystems such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” woodland, and expansive grasslands. A quick search on iNaturalist, an app designed for mapping and sharing biodiversity observations globally among a network of naturalists, reveals that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus, and a further search on eBird indicates that 111 species of birds have been observed to date.
Interestingly, Silwood Park is also home to numerous long-term field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being two of the more notable investigations conducted on-site.
Life as a student at Silwood Park
The campus predominantly hosts postgraduate students engaged in projects related to ecology, conservation, and evolution. Many of us are affiliated with various clubs based at Silwood Park. Prominent examples include:
- Chicken Club – dedicated to the care of the chickens reared behind our residence halls
- Book Club – who meet regularly to discuss intriguing books
- Gardening Club – managing the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – organizing nature walks and conservation-focused activities for students on Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many of us engage in activities of clubs located in South Kensington as well!
Conversely, we also have informal clubs that participate in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), which are held either on the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or at indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Aside from club activities and classes, we host numerous community-driven events on campus. Silwood Park has its own student council that coordinates and supports these activities to foster a lively and engaging student atmosphere! Recently, we held the Silwood language exchange, where our largely international community exchanged languages and cultures over several weeks, and we also celebrated our annual Chinese New Year at the beginning of the year, where everyone joined forces to make dumplings and couplets to welcome the new lunar year. Additionally, we’ve enjoyed community-organized parties celebrating global occasions (like Carnival) or parties simply for the sake of enjoyment.
However, my favorite event on campus has to be the weekly pub quiz, orchestrated by our student community. It’s a cherished Silwood tradition that the losers of the pub quiz are responsible for setting the next one, and I can proudly admit to having the highest number of pub quizzes organized this year. Despite losing countless pub quizzes due to my insufficient general trivia knowledge, there’s always great fun to be had with good friends and a nice pint of beer.
Silwood Park: my second home
Although situated a 30-minute walk from the lively hustle and bustle of civilization (such as the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never felt dull or unfulfilling. Alongside various events and activities, we enjoy a friendly and inclusive community made up of students from across the globe. We all cherish nature, appreciate our stunning campus grounds, and, most importantly, enjoy each other’s company.