Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet specializing in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
When the majority of Imperial students envision Silwood Park, they picture a vibrant, enigmatic, and verdant campus brimming with fauna and flora that aren’t typically found at other locations like South Kensington or White City. In many aspects, they are correct – every portrayal of Silwood Park holds true!
As a spokesperson for this lesser-known faction within Imperial, I aim to shed light on the student experience, activities, and community at our scenic parkland campus in Ascot, Berkshire.
An overview of Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and featuring environments such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” woodland, and open grasslands. A quick investigation on iNaturalist, an app designed for cataloging and sharing biodiversity observations with a global network of naturalists, reveals that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus, while an additional search on eBird indicates that 111 bird species have been observed here to date.
Notably, Silwood Park is also the venue for various long-term field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being among the more prominent studies conducted on site.
Student experience at Silwood Park
The campus primarily accommodates postgraduate students keen on projects related to ecology, conservation, and evolution. Most of us engage in several clubs based at Silwood Park. Some noteworthy examples include:
- Chicken Club – responsible for caring for the chickens that are raised behind our halls of residence
- Book Club – who convene regularly to discuss interesting reads from their selection
- Gardening Club – maintaining the allotments within our communal garden
- Conservation Club – organizing nature walks and conservation-oriented activities for students at Silwood Park Campus.
Being part of the broader Imperial student body, many of us are also members and actively participate in clubs based in South Kensington!
Additionally, we informally have clubs that partake in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), which are held either on the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or at the indoor sports facilities located in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Apart from club activities and lessons, there are numerous community-led events on campus. Silwood Park features its own student council that organizes and promotes these activities to ensure a lively and engaging student experience! Recently, we hosted the Silwood language exchange, where our largely international community united to exchange languages and cultures over several weeks, alongside our traditional Chinese New Year celebration at the beginning of the year, where everyone gathered to create dumplings and couplets to welcome the new lunar year. We’ve also enjoyed community-organized parties commemorating various global festivities (such as Carnival), or parties simply for the joy of celebration.
However, my favorite campus occurrence is undoubtedly the weekly pub quiz, organized by our student community. It’s a Silwood tradition that the quiz losers must set the next one, and I can proudly state that I hold the record for the most pub quizzes set this year. Even though I have lost numerous quizzes due to my lack of general knowledge, there’s always amusement to be found with great companions and a good pint of beer.
Silwood Park: my second home
Even though it’s situated a 30-minute walk from the bustling energy of civilization (such as the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never seemed dull or unexciting. Beyond the multitude of events and activities, we have a friendly and inviting community made up of students from various corners of the globe.