Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When students from Imperial ponder over Silwood Park, they imagine a verdant, enchanting, and green campus rich with distinctive flora and fauna, setting it apart from other locations such as South Kensington or White City. In many ways, they are right—every portrayal of Silwood Park holds true!
As an ambassador for this lesser-known Imperial community, I seek to showcase the student experience, activities, and camaraderie at our natural parkland campus located in Ascot, Berkshire.
Welcome to Silwood Park
Silwood Park acts as Imperial’s outdoor research hub, covering 77 hectares and encompassing habitats such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and expansive grasslands. A straightforward inquiry on iNaturalist, an application designed for mapping and sharing global biodiversity insights within a network of naturalists, uncovers that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been cataloged on campus. Furthermore, eBird indicates that 111 bird species have been observed on-site.
Interestingly, Silwood Park is home to many long-term field research initiatives, including the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project, which are some of the more distinguished studies carried out here.
Life as a Student at Silwood Park
The campus mainly caters to postgraduate students passionate about ecology, conservation, and evolution projects. A number of us engage in various clubs hosted at Silwood Park. Some noteworthy ones include:
- Chicken Club – tending to chickens kept behind our residence halls
- Book Club – regularly discussing intriguing literature
- Gardening Club – overseeing allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – arranging nature walks and conservation efforts for students on campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many also join in on activities from clubs at South Kensington!
Casually, we have sports clubs for badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), either hosted at the multi-use games area (MUGA) on campus or in indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
In addition to club activities and lessons, various community-led events take place on campus. Silwood Park features its own student council that organizes and supports such events, ensuring a lively and engaging student life! Recently, we’ve hosted the Silwood language exchange, where our international community exchanged languages and cultures over several weeks, and our annual Chinese New Year celebration, where we crafted dumplings and couplets to usher in the new lunar year. We’ve also enjoyed community-hosted parties in honor of global celebrations (like Carnival) or simply for the joy of partying.
My favorite campus activity, however, is the weekly pub quiz, run by our student community. It’s a Silwood tradition that those who lose the quiz must host the next one, and I can boast the highest number of quizzes organized this year. Despite often losing due to my limited general trivia knowledge, there’s always enjoyment to be found with delightful company and a pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Second Home
Even though it’s a 30-minute walk from the lively atmosphere of civilization (e.g., the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park never seems tedious or uninspired. Along with numerous events and activities, we share a warm and hospitable community of students from across the globe. We all cherish nature, our stunning campus grounds, and, more significantly, each other’s presence. We are a tight-knit community that relishes stargazing in the winter chill in the open field adjacent to our bar, watching birds and mammals that visit our windows, and mingling with fellow nature lovers.
Most evenings, I cook with my good friend from India, who shares my enthusiasm for Asian cuisine and birdwatching. We’re often