Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When many students from Imperial picture Silwood Park, they think of a verdant, enchanting, and green campus bustling with wildlife and plant life seldom found at other locations like South Kensington or White City. In many respects, they are accurate – every portrayal of Silwood Park reflects the truth!
As a member of this lesser-known Imperial community, I wish to shine a light on the student experience, activities, and camaraderie at our natural parkland campus in Ascot, Berkshire.
An overview of Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and comprising environments such as freshwater waterways, lakes, an “ancient” woodland, and expansive meadows. A brief inquiry on iNaturalist, an application dedicated to cataloging and sharing biodiversity observations worldwide through a naturalist social network, indicates that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been noted on campus. A further search on eBird reveals that, to date, 111 bird species have been recorded on campus.
Notably, Silwood Park hosts a variety of long-term field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project among the prominent studies conducted there.
Student experience at Silwood Park
The campus is largely home to postgraduate students engaged in ecology, conservation, and evolutionary projects. Many of us participate in various clubs located at Silwood Park. Some prominent examples include:
- Chicken Club – tending to the chickens raised behind our residential halls
- Book Club – frequently discussing intriguing books from their reading lists
- Gardening Club – overseeing the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – arranging nature walks and conservation-oriented activities for students on Silwood Park campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many of us also engage in activities of clubs situated in South Kensington!
Informally, we have clubs partaking in sports like badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my 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.
Apart from club activities and classes, various community-driven events occur on campus. Silwood Park features its own student council that organizes and manages such events to foster a lively and enjoyable student life! Recently, we hosted the Silwood language exchange, during which our predominantly international community shared languages and cultures over several weeks, and our annual Chinese New Year celebration at the beginning of the year, where everyone collaborated to create dumplings and couplets to welcome the new lunar year. We’ve also organized community parties celebrating global events (like Carnival) or simply for the joy of festivities.
My top campus event, however, is the weekly pub quiz, arranged by our student community. It’s become part of Silwood culture that the pub quiz losers organize the next one, and I can proudly claim the title of setting the highest number of pub quizzes this year. Despite my frequent losses owing to my lackluster trivia skills, there’s always immense enjoyment to be had with delightful company and a refreshing pint of beer.
Silwood Park: my second home
Even though it’s a 30-minute walk from the lively essence of civilization (e.g., the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never felt monotonous or unexciting. Alongside many events and activities, we enjoy a friendly and inclusive community of students from diverse backgrounds. We all cherish nature, our stunning campus landscape, and, more importantly, one another’s companionship. We’re a close community relishing stargazing in the winter chill on the open field beside our bar, observing the birds and mammals visiting our windows, and spending