Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When the majority of Imperial students picture Silwood Park, they see a lush, enigmatic, and green campus alive with flora and fauna hardly found on our other campuses such as South Kensington or White City. In many ways, they are correct—and every visualization of Silwood Park is true!
As a representative of this somewhat lesser-known community within Imperial, I seek to showcase the student experience, activities, and community at our natural parkland campus located in Ascot, Berkshire.
Presenting Silwood Park
Silwood Park acts as Imperial’s outdoor laboratory, covering 77 hectares and encompassing habitats like freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” woodland, and open meadows. A quick look on iNaturalist, an application that maps and shares biodiversity observations worldwide through an online community of naturalists, indicates that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus, while a search on eBird shows that 111 bird species have been documented thus far.
Notably, Silwood Park is also the location of various long-term field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being among the more distinguished studies conducted there.
Life as a Student at Silwood Park
The campus mainly accommodates postgraduate students focused on ecology, conservation, and evolution research. Many of us are active in different clubs based at Silwood Park. Some prominent examples include:
- Chicken Club – tending to the chickens raised behind our residence halls
- Book Club – frequently meeting to discuss interesting books
- Gardening Club – overseeing the plots in our community garden
- Conservation Club – arranging nature walks and conservation activities for students on Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student community, many of us also get involved in activities from clubs based in South Kensington!
Casually, we have clubs that participate in sports like badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), held either at the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or at indoor sports venues in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
In addition to club activities and classes, we organize several community-led events on campus. Silwood Park hosts its own student council that plans and facilitates these activities, ensuring a lively and engaging student life! Recently, we held the Silwood language exchange, where our predominantly international community shared languages and cultures over several weeks, and we celebrated Chinese New Year with dumplings and couplets to usher in the new lunar year. We’ve also had community-organized gatherings celebrating global events (like Carnival) or simply for the joy of festivities.
My favorite event on campus is the weekly pub quiz, organized by our student community. It’s a Silwood tradition that the pub quiz losers plan the next one, and I can proudly acknowledge having set the most quizzes this year. Despite failing many quizzes due to my limited general trivia knowledge, there’s always enjoyment found with great company and a refreshing pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Home Away from Home
Even though it’s a 30-minute stroll from the bustling center of civilization (e.g., the train station and the closest village), life at Silwood Park has never seemed monotonous or insufficient. Beyond the multitude of events and activities, we have a friendly and inviting community of students from across the globe. We all appreciate nature, treasure our stunning campus grounds, and, most importantly, value each other’s company. We’re a close-knit group that relishes stargazing in the chilly winter nights in the open field adjacent to our bar, watching birds and mammals visit our window, and enjoying time with fellow nature enthusiasts.
Most evenings, I cook with my dear friend from India, who shares my