Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet specializing in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
When many Imperial students picture Silwood Park, they see a lush, enigmatic, and green campus filled with wildlife and plants that are seldom found at our other locations such as South Kensington or White City. In numerous ways, they are right – every image imagined of Silwood Park is true!
As a member of this lesser-known community within Imperial, I want to emphasize the student experience, activities, and community at our natural parkland campus located in Ascot, Berkshire.
Discovering Silwood Park
Silwood Park acts as Imperial’s outdoor research facility, covering 77 hectares and incorporating ecosystems such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and expansive grasslands. A brief search on iNaturalist, an application for documenting and sharing biodiversity observations globally among naturalists, indicates that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on campus. Moreover, a query on eBird reveals that 111 bird species have been noted on campus so far.
Even more fascinating, Silwood Park is home to various long-term research initiatives, with Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being two of the more distinguished studies conducted on-site.
Student Experience at Silwood Park
The campus mainly houses postgraduate students with a focus on ecology, conservation, and evolution projects. Many of us are active in several clubs located at Silwood Park. Some prominent examples include:
- Chicken Club – looking after the chickens kept behind our residence halls
- Book Club – meeting regularly to discuss interesting books
- Gardening Club – overseeing the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – coordinating nature walks and conservation-focused activities for students on Silwood Park Campus.
As part of the broader Imperial student body, many of us also engage with clubs based in South Kensington!
Informally, we have clubs participating in sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), held either at the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or at indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
Apart from club activities and classes, we organize numerous community-driven events on campus. Silwood Park has its own student council that arranges and facilitates these activities, ensuring a lively and engaging student life! Recently, we hosted the Silwood language exchange, where our largely international community exchanged languages and cultures over several weeks. Additionally, we celebrated Chinese New Year at the beginning of the year by making dumplings and couplets to honor the new lunar year. We’ve also had community-organized gatherings to celebrate global festivities (such as Carnival) or simply for the joy of socializing.
My favorite event on campus, however, is the weekly pub quiz, arranged by our student community. It’s a part of Silwood culture that the quiz losers must prepare the next one, and I can proudly say I hold the record for the most pub quizzes organized this year. Despite often losing due to my insufficient general trivia knowledge, it’s always an enjoyable time with great company and a good pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Second Home
Even though it’s a 30-minute stroll from the lively excitement of civilization (e.g., the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never seemed dull or lacking. Beyond the multitude of events and activities, we have a friendly and inclusive community made up of students from around the globe. We all cherish nature, our beautiful campus grounds, and, more importantly, each other’s company. We’re a close-knit community that delights in stargazing in the chilly winter on the open field next to our bar, watching the birds and mammals that visit our windows, and spending time with fellow nature enthusiasts.