Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When the majority of Imperial students picture Silwood Park, they see a verdant, enigmatic, and green campus bustling with wildlife and plant life rarely found at other locations such as South Kensington or White City. In many respects, they are correct – every depiction of Silwood Park is true!
As a member of this lesser-known part of Imperial, I’d like to showcase the student experience, activities, and community at our natural parkland setting in Ascot, Berkshire.
Introducing Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor laboratory, covering 77 hectares and encompassing environments such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and expansive grasslands. A quick search on iNaturalist, an app designed 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, while an additional search on eBird indicates that 111 bird species have been cataloged thus far.
Notably, Silwood Park is also the venue for several long-term field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being two of the more prominent studies conducted on the premises.
Life as a Student at Silwood Park
The campus primarily accommodates postgraduate students focused on endeavors related to ecology, conservation, and evolution. Many of us are involved in various clubs located at Silwood Park. Prominent examples include:
- Chicken Club – responsible for taking care of the chickens housed behind our accommodations
- Book Club – which frequently meets to discuss interesting books
- Gardening Club – which oversees the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – which arranges nature walks and conservation-oriented activities for students on Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student community, many also engage in activities with clubs based in South Kensington!
Additionally, we have informal clubs that partake in sports like badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), based either on the multi-use games area (MUGA) on campus or at indoor sports facilities in nearby towns such as Bracknell or Ascot.
Beyond club-related activities and classes, our campus hosts numerous community-led events. Silwood Park features its own student council that organizes and supports such events, ensuring a lively and engaging student life! Recently, we held the Silwood language exchange, where our predominantly international community united to share languages and cultures over several weeks, and we celebrated our annual Chinese New Year at the beginning of the year, where everyone collaborated to prepare dumplings and couplets to welcome in the new lunar year. We have also hosted community-organized gatherings celebrating global events (like Carnival), or parties simply for the joy of celebration.
My favorite event on campus has to be the weekly pub quiz, organized by our student body. It’s a Silwood tradition that the teams finishing last in the quiz set the next one, and I can proudly assert that I hold the record for the most quizzes set this year. Although I’ve lost numerous quizzes due to my limited general knowledge, the good times spent with great company and a nice pint of beer always make it worthwhile.
Silwood Park: my second home
Although it is a 30-minute walk from the lively atmosphere of civilization (such as the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never felt dull or inadequate. Alongside the countless events and activities, we have a friendly and inclusive community of students hailing from all corners of the globe. We all share a passion for nature, appreciate our stunning campus grounds, and most importantly, relish each other’s company.