Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet specializing in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
When students from Imperial envision Silwood Park, they picture a vibrant, enchanting, and green campus filled with distinct plant and animal life, contrasting with the more urban landscapes of South Kensington or White City. In many ways, they are right—every impression of Silwood Park is spot on!
As a representative of this lesser-known section of the Imperial community, my goal is to showcase the student experience, activities, and camaraderie at our natural parkland campus located in Ascot, Berkshire.
Welcome to Silwood Park
Silwood Park functions as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and encompassing environments such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” woodland, and expansive grasslands. A quick glance at iNaturalist, an application for documenting and sharing biodiversity observations globally among a community of naturalists, uncovers that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on the campus. Moreover, a search on eBird indicates that so far, 111 bird species have been noted on campus.
Intriguingly, Silwood Park hosts several long-term field research initiatives, including the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project, two of the more prominent studies undertaken on-site.
Student Experience at Silwood Park
The campus mainly caters to postgraduate students with a keen interest in ecology, conservation, and evolution-related projects. Many of us engage in various clubs based at Silwood Park. Notable examples include:
- Chicken Club – tending to the chickens raised behind our accommodation
- Book Club – convening regularly to discuss notable reads
- Gardening Club – overseeing the plots in our community garden
- Conservation Club – arranging nature walks and conservation efforts for students at Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the wider Imperial student body, numerous members also participate actively in clubs based at South Kensington!
Additionally, we have informal clubs involved in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), primarily based on the multi-use games area (MUGA) on campus or within indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Beyond the club activities and classes, we organize a variety of community-led events on campus. Silwood Park features its own student council that coordinates and supports such initiatives, ensuring a lively and dynamic student life! In recent months, we hosted the Silwood language exchange, where our predominantly international community shared languages and cultures over several weeks, along with our annual Chinese New Year festivity at the year’s start, where everyone gathered to create dumplings and couplets to celebrate the new lunar year. We’ve also seen parties organized by the community to celebrate global events (like Carnival) or simply for the joy of gathering.
My favorite event on campus, however, is the weekly pub quiz, managed by our student community. It’s a cherished part of Silwood culture that the quiz losers must plan the next event, and I can proudly say I have set the highest number of pub quizzes this year. Even though I often lose due to my limited trivia knowledge, there’s always great fun to be had with wonderful company and a good pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Second Home
Although it’s a 30-minute walk to the vibrant atmosphere of civilization (such as the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never been boring or lacking. Beyond the various events and activities, we boast a friendly and inviting community made up of students from all around the globe. We all appreciate nature, treasure our stunning campus grounds, and, above all, enjoy being together. We’re a close-knit community that revels in stargazing during the chilly winter nights on the open field beside our bar, watching the birds and mammals.