The Past: The vision that got us here

The Past: The vision that got us here

From Unearthed - The need for seeds, with Cate Blanchett by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

October 22, 2025 · 41 min · Season 4 · Episode 2

About this episode

Cate Blanchett explores the history and significance of the Millennium Seed Bank and its role in plant conservation.

The Millennium Seed Bank started life as a modest chest freezer housed in an English chapel. It’s now a multi-layered vault housing over 2.5 billion wild seeds, with partnerships all over the world. A living insurance policy for our world’s plants. In this first episode of Unearthed: The need for seeds , Wakehurst ambassador Cate Blanchett dives into the rich history of Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank with Kew’s Senior Research Leader in Seed Conservation, Dr Elinor Breman and founding father Roger Smith. She also discovers the extraordinary variety of seeds stored and why — including relatives of staple crops like carrots and potatoes — to safeguard global food systems, explained by Dr Chris Cockel, UK Conservation Projects Coordinator at the Millennium Seed Bank. And we hear from Dan Duval, Senior Seed Collections Officer from the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre, who shares testimony for the vital role banked seeds already play in regenerating habitats. You can support the vital work of the Millennium Seed Bank by donating here: www.kew.org/seeds Instagram: @kewgardens Facebook:  @kewgardens   YouTube: @kewgardens &nbsp…

People in this episode

Host: Cate Blanchett

Guests: Dr Elinor Breman, Roger Smith, Dr Chris Cockel, Dan Duval

Topics covered

  • seed conservation
  • biodiversity
  • food security
  • environmental science
  • plant preservation

Keywords

  • Millennium Seed Bank
  • seed conservation
  • biodiversity
  • food systems
  • plant preservation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Millennium Seed Bank, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, South Australian Seed Conservation Centre

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