Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet specializing in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
When Imperial students envision Silwood Park, they picture a lush, enigmatic, and verdant campus brimming with distinctive flora and fauna not found in other locations like South Kensington or White City. In many respects, they are right – every depiction of Silwood Park holds true!
As a member of this lesser-known Imperial community, I am eager to showcase the student experience, activities, and camaraderie at our natural parkland campus situated in Ascot, Berkshire.
Getting to know Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, encompassing 77 hectares and hosting ecosystems such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and expansive grasslands. A brief search on iNaturalist, an application for documenting and sharing biodiversity observations worldwide with a community of naturalists, indicates that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus, while an additional query on eBird confirms 111 bird species identified thus far.
Remarkably, Silwood Park is also the site of numerous long-term field research initiatives, such as the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project, both of which are renowned projects carried out on the premises.
Campus life at Silwood Park
The campus predominantly accommodates postgraduate students focused on ecology, conservation, and evolutionary studies. Many of us engage in various clubs hosted at Silwood Park. Some notable ones are:
- Chicken Club – nurturing chickens raised behind our dormitories
- Book Club – regularly discussing various interesting reads
- Gardening Club – cultivating plots in our community garden
- Conservation Club – coordinating nature walks and conservation initiatives for Silwood Park students.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, numerous members also partake in clubs located in South Kensington!
Informally, we have sports teams such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), held at the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or at indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Apart from club activities and classes, we have a variety of community-driven events on campus. Silwood Park boasts its own student council, which organizes and promotes activities to ensure an enriching student experience! Recently, we hosted the Silwood language exchange, where our international community shared languages and cultures over several weeks, along with our annual Chinese New Year festivities, which involved making dumplings and couplets to usher in the new lunar year. We have also held community-organized gatherings to celebrate global events (like Carnival) or simply for the enjoyment of socializing.
My personal favorite event on campus is the weekly pub quiz, coordinated by our student community. It’s a part of Silwood tradition that the quiz losers host the next one, and I can proudly state that I have set the most quizzes this year. Despite losing many quizzes due to limited trivia knowledge, there’s always joy in the company of friends and a refreshing pint of beer.
Silwood Park: my second home
Even though it’s a 30-minute stroll from civilization (e.g., the train station and nearest village), life at Silwood Park never feels dull or devoid of excitement. In addition to countless events and activities, we foster a warm, inviting community of students from all corners of the globe. We all cherish nature, our stunning campus, and, most importantly, each other’s companionship. We are a tightly-knit community that enjoys stargazing on chilly winter nights in the open field beside our bar, observing wildlife outside our windows, and spending time with fellow nature enthusiasts.
Most evenings, I prepare meals with my close friend from India, who shares my passion for Asian cuisine and birdwatching. We are often joined by friends residing just a short walk away in nearby dorms. After dinner, we typically engage in board games or watch films together. Living at Sil