The Present: Inside the world’s largest seed bank

The Present: Inside the world’s largest seed bank

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

October 29, 2025 · 35 min · Season 4 · Episode 3

About this episode

Cate Blanchett explores the Millennium Seed Bank and the efforts to conserve plant life.

The Millennium Seed Bank holds over 2.5 billion seeds – but where do they all come from, and how do they end up in those deep underground vaults? In this episode of Unearthed: The need for seeds , Cate Blanchett joins UK Seed Conservation Coordinator Ted Chapman and UK Conservation Projects Officer Isabel Negri on a seed-collecting mission in the South of England. Searching for yellow rattle, she learns how scientists balance collecting enough for research while leaving nature undisturbed. Seeds also arrive from across the globe. Nattanit Yiamthaisong, a PhD student, shares how her research at the MSB is helping her understand how temperature affects germination — skills she’ll take back to her forest restoration work at Chiang Mai University. Back at Wakehurst, Seed Curator Sian McCabe guides Cate through the labs where seeds are dried, cleaned, and x-rayed before being sealed deep in the vaults — the beating heart of this global effort to protect plant life for generations to come. You can support the vital work of the Millennium Seed Bank by donating here: www.kew.org/seeds Unearthed - The need for seeds is a Fresh Air production for the Royal Botanic…

People in this episode

Host: Cate Blanchett

Guests: Ted Chapman, Isabel Negri, Nattanit Yiamthaisong

Topics covered

  • seed conservation
  • plant life
  • germination
  • research
  • environment
  • biodiversity

Keywords

  • seeds
  • conservation
  • germination
  • research
  • biodiversity
  • environment
  • Millennium Seed Bank

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Millennium Seed Bank, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Places: South of England, Wakehurst, Chiang Mai University

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