Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When many Imperial students picture Silwood Park, they see a vibrant, enigmatic, and green campus bustling with species of plants and animals that are rarely found at other locations like South Kensington or White City. In numerous respects, they are correct – every portrayal of Silwood Park holds true!
As a spokesperson for this lesser-known sector of Imperial, I wish to draw attention to the student life, activities, and community present at our natural parkland campus located in Ascot, Berkshire.
An overview of Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and featuring ecosystems such as freshwater streams, lakes, an ancient forest, and open meadows. A quick search on iNaturalist, an application that allows users to map and share biodiversity observations globally within a community of naturalists, reveals that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus, while a further inquiry on eBird indicates that 111 bird species have been observed here so far.
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 among the most recognized studies conducted on-site.
Student experiences at Silwood Park
The campus mainly accommodates postgraduate students focused on projects related to ecology, conservation, and evolution. Many of us are involved in various clubs located at Silwood Park. Some notable examples encompass:
- Chicken Club – responsible for taking care of the chickens located behind our residences
- Book Club – meeting regularly to discuss selected books from their reading lists
- Gardening Club – overseeing the allotments within our community garden
- Conservation Club – organizing nature walks and conservation-related activities for students on Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student community, many of us also engage with and actively participate in clubs based in South Kensington!
Additionally, we have informal clubs centered around sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), which take place either on the multi-use games area (MUGA) at campus or in indoor sports facilities available in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Beyond club activities and classes, there are plenty of community-driven events occurring on campus. Silwood Park boasts its own student council that plans and coordinates such activities to maintain a dynamic and engaging student life! Recently, we celebrated the Silwood language exchange, where our diverse international community united to share languages and cultures over several weeks, along with our customary Chinese New Year celebration at the beginning of the year, where everyone came together to prepare dumplings and couplets to welcome the start of a new lunar year. We have also enjoyed community-organized festivities honoring celebrations from across the globe (like Carnival) or gatherings simply for the joy of festivity.
Nonetheless, my preferred campus activity has to be the weekly pub quiz devised by our student community. It has become Silwood tradition that the losing team of the pub quiz must conduct the next one, and I can proudly say I hold the record for setting the most pub quizzes this year. Despite my frequent failures at pub quizzes due to my limited general trivia knowledge, there’s always an enjoyable time to be had with great company and a refreshing pint of beer.
Silwood Park: my sanctuary away from home
Even though it is situated a 30-minute walk from the lively essence of civilization (for example, the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never felt dull or insufficient. In addition to the