Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When Imperial students picture Silwood Park, they see a vibrant, enigmatic, and lush campus filled with distinctive flora and fauna, distinct from those at South Kensington or White City. In many ways, they are right—every perception of Silwood Park is true!
As a member of this lesser-known Imperial community, I seek to showcase the student life, activities, and camaraderie at our natural parkland campus in Ascot, Berkshire.
Welcome to Silwood Park
Silwood Park acts as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and featuring habitats such as freshwater streams, lakes, an ancient woodland, and open meadows. A quick inquiry on iNaturalist, an application for mapping and sharing biodiversity observations globally within an online community of naturalists, shows that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus. Furthermore, eBird indicates that 111 bird species have been documented on campus so far.
Interestingly, Silwood Park is home to numerous long-term field research initiatives, including the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project, which are among the better-known studies conducted on-site.
Life as a Student at Silwood Park
The campus mainly accommodates postgraduate students involved in research pertaining to ecology, conservation, and evolution. Many of us take part in various clubs founded at Silwood Park. Noteworthy examples include:
- Chicken Club – looking after the chickens raised behind our residence halls
- Book Club – consistently gathering to discuss interesting books
- Gardening Club – tending to the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – coordinating nature walks and conservation efforts for students on Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many of us also engage in activities of clubs located in South Kensington!
Casually, we have clubs participating in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), either at the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or at indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Aside from club activities and classes, we have many community-led events on campus. Silwood Park hosts its own student council that organizes and supports such activities, promoting a lively and enjoyable student experience! Recently, we organized the Silwood language exchange, where our international community shared languages and cultures over several weeks, and our annual Chinese New Year celebration, bringing everyone together to make dumplings and couplets to usher in the new lunar year. We’ve also held community-organized celebrations of global festivities (like Carnival) or simply enjoyed gatherings for the love of parties.
My favorite campus event is the weekly pub quiz, hosted by our student community. It’s customary in Silwood culture that the quiz losers create the next one, and I can proudly claim the most quizzes set this year. Even though I’ve lost many quizzes due to my inadequate general trivia skills, there’s always a good time with great company and a refreshing pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Second Home
Even though it’s a 30-minute stroll from the lively atmosphere of civilization (e.g., the train station and the nearest village), living at Silwood Park has never seemed dull or lacking. In addition to numerous events and activities, we possess a friendly and inviting community of students from across the globe. We all share a love for nature, our beautiful campus, and, importantly, each other’s company. We are a close-knit community that enjoys stargazing during winter in the open field beside our bar, observing the birds and mammals that visit our windows, and spending time with fellow nature enthusiasts.
Most evenings, I cook with my dear friend from India, who