Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When many Imperial students imagine Silwood Park, they picture a vibrant, enigmatic, and verdant campus brimming with flora and fauna seldom found at other sites like South Kensington or White City. In many respects, they are correct – every portrayal of Silwood Park holds true!
As a voice from this lesser-known segment of Imperial, I wish to shed light on the student experience, activities, and community at our natural parkland campus in Ascot, Berkshire.
A glimpse into Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and showcasing environments such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” woodland, and open meadows. A quick search on iNaturalist, a platform for mapping and sharing biodiversity findings globally within a social network of naturalists, displays that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been registered on campus. An additional search on eBird indicates that 111 bird species have been noted on campus thus far.
Even more captivating, Silwood Park hosts numerous long-standing field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being among the more renowned studies undertaken here.
The student experience at Silwood Park
The campus caters primarily to postgraduate students focused on projects centered around ecology, conservation, and evolution. Many of us are involved in various clubs situated at Silwood Park. Some prominent examples include:
- Chicken Club – responsible for caring for the chickens situated behind our residential halls
- Book Club – who convene regularly to discuss intriguing titles from their reading lists
- Gardening Club – overseeing the community garden’s allotments
- Conservation Club – who arrange nature walks and conservation-related activities for students at Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student population, many of us also engage in the activities of clubs based in South Kensington!
Informally, we also have groups that participate in sports like badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), which take place at the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or at indoor sports facilities in nearby towns such as Bracknell or Ascot.
Alongside club activities and classes, we host numerous community-driven events on campus. Silwood Park boasts its own student council that organizes and promotes activities to foster a lively and exciting student experience! Recently, we’ve hosted the Silwood language exchange, where our predominantly international community came together to exchange languages and cultures over a few weeks, and we also ushered in the new lunar year by celebrating Chinese New Year with dumpling-making and couplet crafting. Additionally, we have community-planned gatherings to celebrate global events (like Carnival) or simply parties held for the joy of celebration.
However, my favorite campus event has to be the weekly pub quiz, arranged by our student community. It’s a Silwood tradition that those who lose the pub quiz organize the next one, and I can proudly assert the record for the highest number of pub quizzes set this year. Despite my frequent losses due to my lackluster general trivia knowledge, there’s always good enjoyment with great company and a decent pint of beer.
Silwood Park: my second home
Even though it’s situated a 30-minute walk from the lively atmosphere of civilization (e.g., the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never felt stale or devoid of excitement. In addition to a variety of events and activities, we cultivate a friendly and inviting community made up of students from all corners of the globe. We all appreciate nature, our stunning campus environment, and, more importantly, each other’s company. We’re a closely-knit community that