By Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
When students from Imperial reflect on Silwood Park, they picture a vibrant, enchanting, and green campus brimming with wildlife and flora not typically found at our other locations like South Kensington or White City. In many respects, they’re correct – every portrayal of Silwood Park holds true!
As a member of this lesser-known Imperial community, I wish to showcase the student experience, activities, and camaraderie at our natural parkland campus situated in Ascot, Berkshire.
A glimpse into Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor laboratory, covering 77 hectares and comprising habitats such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and expansive grasslands. A quick search on iNaturalist, an application designed for mapping and exchanging biodiversity observations globally with an online platform of naturalists, reveals 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi documented on campus. A subsequent search on eBird shows 111 bird species recorded on campus to date.
More intriguingly, Silwood Park is home to numerous long-term field research initiatives, including the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project, both renowned studies conducted on-site.
Student experience at Silwood Park
The campus mainly accommodates postgraduate students focused on ecology, conservation, and evolution initiatives. Many of us are active members of various clubs based at Silwood Park. Some notable examples are:
- Chicken Club – tending to chickens raised behind our residence halls
- Book Club – regularly discussing intriguing literature
- Gardening Club – overseeing the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – arranging nature walks and conservation efforts for Silwood Park students.
Being part of the broader Imperial student body, several of us also engage in clubs located in South Kensington!
Casually, we have clubs participating in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), at either the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
In addition to club events and classes, we have numerous community-led gatherings on campus. Silwood Park has its own student council that organizes and facilitates activities to promote a vibrant and enjoyable student experience! Recently, we hosted the Silwood language exchange, where our international community shared languages and cultures over several weeks. We also embraced Chinese New Year with dumplings and couplets to usher in the new lunar year. We’ve also enjoyed community-organized celebrations for global events (like Carnival) or simply gatherings for the enjoyment of parties.
One of my favorite events on campus is the weekly pub quiz, run by our student community. It’s part of Silwood culture that the losers of the pub quiz organize the next one, and I can proudly say I’ve set the highest number of pub quizzes this year. Despite frequently losing pub quizzes due to my lack of general trivia knowledge, there’s always plenty of laughter with great friends and a refreshing pint of beer.
Silwood Park: my sanctuary away from home
Although 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 has never seemed dull or lacking. In addition to numerous events and activities, we have a friendly and inclusive community of students from around the globe. We all have a passion for nature, our stunning campus surroundings, and most importantly, each other’s company. We’re a tight-knit community that delights in stargazing during the winter chill in the open field next to our bar, observing birds and mammals at our room windows, and spending quality time with fellow nature enthusiasts.
Most evenings, I prepare meals with my dear friend from India, who shares my enthusiasm for Asian cuisine and birdwatching. We’re often accompanied by friends just a short walk away in neighboring residence.