Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet specializing in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
When the majority of Imperial students consider Silwood Park, they picture a verdant, enigmatic, and green campus brimming with wildlife and plant species not often encountered at other campuses such as South Kensington or White City. In many respects, they’re accurate – every portrayal of Silwood Park holds true!
As a representative of this lesser-known segment of Imperial, I wish to emphasize the student life, activities, and community present at our natural parkland campus located in Ascot, Berkshire.
Introducing Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor laboratory, covering 77 hectares and including ecosystems such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and expansive grasslands. A straightforward search on iNaturalist, an application for cataloging and sharing biodiversity records worldwide within an online community of naturalists, reveals that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus. A further inquiry on eBird uncovers that 111 bird species have been reported on campus to date.
Even more fascinating, Silwood Park also hosts numerous long-term field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project standing out among the more prominent projects carried out on-site.
Life as a student at Silwood Park
The campus primarily consists of postgraduate students engaged in projects related to ecology, conservation, and evolution. Most of us are members of various clubs based at Silwood Park. Some notable examples include:
- Chicken Club – responsible for caring for the chickens kept behind our residence halls
- Book Club – who meet regularly to discuss interesting reads from their reading lists
- Gardening Club – who oversee the allotments within our community garden
- Conservation Club – who coordinate nature walks and conservation-related activities for students on Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many of us are also active members and partake in events hosted by clubs in South Kensington!
Additionally, we have informal clubs that partake in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), located either on the multi-use games area (MUGA) on campus or in indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Alongside club activities and lessons, we host numerous community-driven events on campus. Silwood Park has its own student council that organizes and manages these activities to ensure a lively and engaging student experience! Recently, we enjoyed the Silwood language exchange, where our predominantly international community came together to share languages and cultures over a series of weeks, and we celebrated our annual Chinese New Year gathering at the start of the year, where everyone joined to make dumplings and couplets to welcome the new lunar year. We’ve also celebrated community-organized parties in recognition of global events (like Carnival) or hosted simply for the joy of festivities.
However, my favorite event on campus must be the weekly pub quiz, organized by our student community. It’s a part of Silwood tradition that the quiz losers are responsible for organizing the next one, and I can proudly state that I hold the record for the most pub quizzes set this year. Despite my numerous defeats due to my limited general trivia knowledge, there’s always plenty of fun to be had with great company and a good pint of beer.
Silwood Park: my second home
Even though 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 felt dull or insufficient. Along with the plethora of events and activities, we boast a warm and inviting community made up of students from across the globe. We all share a passion for nature, cherish our stunning campus grounds, and