Authored by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet specializing in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When the majority of Imperial students imagine Silwood Park, they picture a verdant, enigmatic, and green campus bustling with wildlife and plant life not frequently encountered on other campuses such as South Kensington or White City. In many respects, they are correct – every depiction of Silwood Park holds truth!
As a voice of this lesser-known part of Imperial, I wish to shed light on the student experience, engagements, and community at our nature-centric parkland campus in Ascot, Berkshire.
A glimpse into Silwood Park
Silwood Park serves as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and encompassing ecosystems such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” woodland, and expansive grasslands. A brief exploration on iNaturalist, a platform for documenting and sharing biodiversity observations worldwide within a network of naturalists, unveils that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus, with further information from eBird showing that 111 bird species have been logged to date.
Notably, Silwood Park also hosts numerous long-term field research initiatives, with Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being two of the more recognized studies conducted on-site.
Life as a student at Silwood Park
The campus primarily accommodates postgraduate students passionate about ecology, conservation, and evolution projects. Many of us are engaged in various clubs based at Silwood Park. Some prominent examples include:
- Chicken Club – responsible for caring for the chickens raised behind our residence halls
- Book Club – who convene periodically to discuss interesting reads from their lists
- Gardening Club – managing the community garden allotments
- Conservation Club – organizing nature walks and conservation-related events for students on Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many also participate in and engage with clubs located in South Kensington!
Additionally, we have informal clubs focused on sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), which are either held on the campus multi-use games area (MUGA) or at indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Alongside club activities and classes, we host numerous community-driven events on campus. Silwood Park has its dedicated student council that organizes and facilitates these activities to promote a lively and enjoyable student life! Recently, we’ve hosted the Silwood language exchange, where our predominantly international community collaborated to share languages and cultures over several weeks, as well as our annual Chinese New Year celebration at the year’s beginning, where everyone united to make dumplings and couplets to welcome the new lunar year. Community-organized gatherings to celebrate global events like Carnival, or festivities simply for the joy of partying have also occurred.
However, my highlight among campus events remains the weekly pub quiz, organized by our student community. Part of Silwood culture dictates that the quiz losers must set up the next quiz, and I can proudly say I hold the record for the most quizzes set this year. Despite being on the losing end of many quizzes due to my mediocre general trivia knowledge, there’s always enjoyment to be had in great company and a good pint of beer.
Silwood Park: my sanctuary away from home
Even though it’s situated a 30-minute walk from the lively urban feels (like the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never been dull or lacking. Besides the multitude of events and activities, our community is warm and inviting, comprising students from around the globe. All of