In this episode of Unearthed: Nature needs us from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew we ask what it means to regenerate and restore degraded forests and landscapes, and why so many tree-planting projects in the past have failed.

Mya-Rose Craig (AKA “Birdgirl”) hears from Kew’s scientists including Dr James Borrell, and Dr Kate Hardwick, who are leading the conversation and collaborating with other organisations on how to reforest and regenerate successfully. We visit the Woodland Trust’sHome Farm, one of the largest native woodland creation sites in Southern England, where Forest Research Forest Ecologist Nicola Cotterill is carrying out research into how genetic diversity can help strengthen the ecosystem.

Building back ecosystems with genetic resilience is essential if we want species to survive disease, pests, climate change and other changing conditions. But UK woodlands are facing an enormous battle with Ash Dieback. We meet Russell Croft, the Arboretum Manager at Wakehurst, to find out how the team there are managing the effects of this disease in Kew’s own beautiful nature reserve.

And Professor Katie Field explores how the past can unveil incredible insights into our forest ecosystems.

Further afield, in Thailand, Professor Steve Elliot and the team at FORRU (Forest Research and Restoration Unit at Chiang Mai University) are working with schools to run innovative seed collection and tree planting programmes as part of their version of the “Framework Species Methodology”. As they restore tropical forest ecosystems, Steve explains how all wildlife is prospering from planting the right kinds of species in open areas close to natural forest.

Kew’s partnerships around the world enable amazing seed conservation and species reintroduction work to take place and this has extended to the volcanic slopes of Indonesia, at Mount Ciremai. Dr Dian Latifah and Dr Yayan Kusuma from BRIN tell us about this exciting project.

Dr Kate Hardwick has worked heavily in the tropics and is Restoration Coordinator for Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank Programme. She and Isabella Tree – Wilding author and co-owner of the Knepp Estate in Sussex – unpick the differences between rewilding and regeneration and explore the spectrum of conservation that encompasses these approaches to regenerating our landscapes.

Subscribe to this podcast to catch up on earlier episodes of Unearthed and to enjoy a new episode every fortnight.

You can find out more about the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and support their cutting-edge conservation research and training at Kew.org.

In this episode of Unearthed: Nature needs us from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew we ask what it means to regenerate and restore degraded forests and landscapes, and why so many tree-planting projects in the past have failed.
<a href="https://www.birdgirluk.com/">Mya-Rose Craig</a> (AKA “Birdgirl”) hears from Kew’s scientists including Dr <a href="https://www.kew.org/science/our-science/people/james-s-borrell">James Borrell</a>, and Dr <a href="https://www.kew.org/science/our-science/people/kate-a-hardwick">Kate Hardwick</a>, who are leading the conversation and collaborating with other organisations on how to reforest and regenerate successfully. We visit the <a href="https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/">Woodland Trust’s</a> <a href="https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/woods/home-farm/">Home Farm</a>, one of the largest native woodland creation sites in Southern England, where <a href="https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/">Forest Research</a> Forest Ecologist <a href="https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/staff/nicola-cotterill/">Nicola Cotterill</a> is carrying out research into how genetic diversity can help strengthen the ecosystem.
Building back ecosystems with genetic resilience is essential if we want species to survive disease, pests, climate change and other changing conditions. But UK woodlands are facing an enormous battle with <a href="https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/ash-dieback-wakehurst">Ash Dieback</a>. We meet Russell Croft, the Arboretum Manager at Wakehurst, to find out how the team there are managing the effects of this disease in Kew’s own beautiful nature reserve.
And <a href="https://x.com/katiefield4?lang=en">Professor Katie Field</a> explores how the past can unveil incredible insights into our forest ecosystems.
Further afield, in Thailand, Professor Steve Elliot and the team at <a href="https://www.forru.org/">FORRU</a> (Forest Research and Restoration Unit at Chiang Mai University) are working with schools to run innovative seed collection and tree planting programmes as part of their version of the “Framework Species Methodology”. As they restore tropical forest ecosystems, Steve explains how all wildlife is prospering from planting the right kinds of species in open areas close to natural forest.
Kew’s partnerships around the world enable amazing seed conservation and species reintroduction work to take place and this has extended to the volcanic slopes of Indonesia, at Mount Ciremai. <a href="https://x.com/dianl2311?lang=en-GB">Dr Dian Latifah</a> and <a href="https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/dr.+yayan+wahyu+candra+kusuma/667831.html">Dr Yayan Kusuma</a> from <a href="https://www.brin.go.id/en">BRIN</a> tell us about this exciting project.
<a href="https://www.kew.org/science/our-science/people/kate-a-hardwick">Dr Kate Hardwick</a> has worked heavily in the tropics and is Restoration Coordinator for Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank Programme. She and <a href="https://www.isabellatree.com/">Isabella Tree</a> – Wilding author and co-owner of the K<a href="https://knepp.co.uk/knepp-estate/">nepp Estate in Sussex</a> – unpick the differences between rewilding and regeneration and explore the spectrum of conservation that encompasses these approaches to regenerating our landscapes.
Subscribe to this podcast to catch up on earlier episodes of Unearthed and to enjoy a new episode every fortnight.
You can find out more about the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and support their cutting-edge conservation research and training at <a href="https://www.kew.org/">Kew.org</a>.

From the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Unearthed returns — celebrating 25 years of the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst, the most biodiverse place on our planet.

Hosted by Cate Blanchett, Kew’s ambassador for Wakehurst, this series explores the story of the world’s largest wild seed bank — a vault and living laboratory where science and conservation meet. From restoring habitats to protecting biodiversity, these seeds hold the promise of our planet’s future.

This is no distant insurance policy. It’s one we’re already relying on — and one that will only grow in importance as our climate changes and biodiversity is lost.

As the Seed Bank marks its 25th anniversary, Cate discovers how its groundbreaking work is already shaping life on Earth — and why its mission has never mattered more.

You can support the vital work of the Millennium Seed Bank by donating here: www.kew.org/seeds

Instagram: @kewgardens

Facebook: @kewgardens

YouTube: @kewgardens

From the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Unearthed returns &mdash; celebrating 25 years of the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst, the most biodiverse place on our planet.
Hosted by Cate Blanchett, Kew&rsquo;s ambassador for Wakehurst, this series explores the story of the world&rsquo;s largest wild seed bank &mdash; a vault and living laboratory where science and conservation meet. From restoring habitats to protecting biodiversity, these seeds hold the promise of our planet&rsquo;s future.
This is no distant insurance policy. It&rsquo;s one we&rsquo;re already relying on &mdash; and one that will only grow in importance as our climate changes and biodiversity is lost.
As the Seed Bank marks its 25th anniversary, Cate discovers how its groundbreaking work is already shaping life on Earth &mdash; and why its mission has never mattered more.
You can support the vital work of the Millennium Seed Bank by donating here: <a href="https://www.kew.org/seeds">www.kew.org/seeds</a>
Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kewgardens/">@kewgardens</a>
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kewgardens">@kewgardens</a>
YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNa8wJk6VYIRK78JuDSRnTQ">@kewgardens</a>