Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
When many Imperial students picture Silwood Park, they see a lush, mysterious, and green campus filled with wildlife and plant life not often found on our other campuses like South Kensington or White City. In many ways, they are right – every image that comes to mind of Silwood Park is true!
As a member of this lesser-known Imperial community, I’d like to showcase the student experience, activities, and community at our natural parkland campus in Ascot, Berkshire.
Getting to Know Silwood Park
Silwood Park functions as Imperial’s outdoor laboratory, covering 77 hectares and encompassing habitats such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest, and expansive grasslands. A swift search on iNaturalist, an app designed for mapping and sharing biodiversity observations globally within a social network of naturalists, shows that 1,436 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been documented on campus, while eBird indicates 111 bird species recorded thus far.
Interestingly, Silwood Park is home to various long-term field research initiatives, with the Nash’s Field Experiment and the Blue Tit Project being among the most notable projects carried out on-site.
Student Experience at Silwood Park
The campus mainly hosts postgraduate students concentrating on ecology, conservation, and evolution studies. Many of us take part in several clubs based at Silwood Park. Noteworthy examples include:
- Chicken Club – taking care of chickens raised behind our accommodation halls
- Book Club – regularly gathering to discuss interesting reads
- Gardening Club – overseeing the allotments in our community garden
- Conservation Club – arranging nature walks and conservation initiatives for Silwood Park students.
As part of the wider Imperial student body, numerous members also engage in activities of clubs based in South Kensington!
Informally, we have clubs that focus on sports such as badminton, basketball, and pickleball (my personal favorite!), taking place either at the multi-use games arena (MUGA) on campus or at indoor sports facilities in nearby towns like Bracknell or Ascot.
In addition to club activities and classes, we organize several community-led events on campus. Silwood Park has its own student council that coordinates and supports such activities, ensuring a lively and exciting student experience! Recently, we hosted the Silwood language exchange, where our predominantly international community shared languages and cultures over several weeks, and we celebrated Chinese New Year at the beginning of the year with dumplings and couplets to welcome the new lunar year. We’ve also held community-organized parties celebrating global occasions (like Carnival) or simply for the enjoyment of gatherings.
However, my favorite campus event is the weekly pub quiz, arranged by our student community. It has become a Silwood custom that the quiz losers must prepare the next one, and I can proudly claim the record for the most pub quizzes set this year. Despite losing countless pub quizzes due to my weak general trivia knowledge, there’s always fun to be had with great company and a refreshing pint of beer.
Silwood Park: My Home Away from Home
Even though it’s a 30-minute stroll from the vibrant buzz of civilization (e.g., the train station and the nearest village), life at Silwood Park has never seemed dull or insufficient. In addition to the multitude of events and activities, we share a friendly and inviting community made up of students from across the globe. We all cherish nature, love our beautiful campus grounds, and, more importantly, appreciate each other’s presence. We’re a cohesive group that enjoys stargazing in the winter chill on the open field beside our bar, watching birds and mammals grace our room windows, and spending time among fellow nature enthusiasts.
Most evenings, I cook with my dear