Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When students from Imperial think of Silwood Park, they picture a lush, enigmatic, and green campus alive with wildlife and plant life, distinctly different from our other locations like South Kensington or White City. In many ways, they are right—every impression of Silwood Park is true!
As a member of this lesser-known Imperial community, I aim to showcase the student experience, activities, and camaraderie at our natural parkland campus in Ascot, Berkshire.
Introducing Silwood Park
Silwood Park acts as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and comprising ecosystems such as freshwater streams, ponds, an “ancient” wood, and open fields. A simple search on iNaturalist, an application used for documenting and sharing biodiversity observations worldwide with a network of enthusiasts, shows that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on the site. Furthermore, a check on eBird indicates that 111 bird species have been logged on campus 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 more prominent studies conducted here.
Student Life at Silwood Park
The campus mainly serves postgraduate students who are deeply engaged in ecology, conservation, and evolutionary studies. Many of us take part in various clubs based at Silwood Park. Some notable examples include:
- Chicken Club – looking after the chickens raised behind our living accommodations
- Book Club – regularly convening to talk about books of mutual interest
- Gardening Club – overseeing the allotments within our community garden
- Conservation Club – arranging nature walks and conservation events for Silwood Park students.
As part of the broader Imperial student community, many of us are also involved in clubs located in South Kensington!
Casually, we have clubs for sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my absolute favorite!), either at the multi-use games area (MUGA) on campus or indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Apart from club activities and classes, we organize various community-led events on campus. Silwood Park has its own student council that coordinates and promotes these activities to ensure a vibrant and lively student environment! Recently, we conducted the Silwood language exchange, where our international community exchanged languages and cultures over several weeks, and our annual Chinese New Year celebration, where we prepared dumplings and couplets to usher in the new lunar year. We’ve also hosted community-organized parties to celebrate worldwide festivities (like Carnival) or simply for the joy of gathering.
My favorite campus gathering is the weekly pub quiz, orchestrated by our student body. It’s part of Silwood culture that the pub quiz losers host the next one, and I can proudly say I have set the most pub quizzes this year. Even though I have lost many pub quizzes due to my average general knowledge, there’s always great fun among good friends and a nice pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Home Away from Home
Even though it is a 30-minute walk from the lively atmosphere of civilization (like the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park never feels dull or uneventful. Beyond the plethora of events and activities, we have a friendly and inviting community of students from across the globe. We all share a love for nature, appreciate our stunning campus grounds, and, more importantly, enjoy each other’s company. We’re a closely-knit group that relishes stargazing under the winter sky in the open field beside our bar, observing the birds and mammals visiting our windows, and spending time with fellow nature enthusiasts.
Most evenings, I prepare meals with my dear friend from India, who shares my passion for Asian cuisine and birdwatching. We often