One wintery morning in 2014, somebody stole a tiny and extremely rare waterlily from the collection at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was never seen again, and they were never caught.

James Wong begins his journey into the mysterious world of plants and fungi by looking at the criminal underworld of plant trafficking.

Speaking to Border Force, Kew scientists and advisors, James learns about the little-appreciated fight to protect plants from extinction, exploitation, and smugglers hiding on the web – and how many of us are guilty of ‘plant blindness’.

Subscribe to Unearthed: Mysteries from an unseen world on your podcast app to get a new episode each fortnight.

And you can share the show or join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #KewUnearthed.

Follow @kewgardens for more insights into the magical, mysterious world of plants and fungi.

www.kew.org

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/border-force

One wintery morning in 2014, somebody stole a tiny and extremely rare waterlily from the collection at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was never seen again, and they were never caught.
James Wong begins his journey into the mysterious world of plants and fungi by looking at the criminal underworld of plant trafficking.
Speaking to Border Force, Kew scientists and advisors, James learns about the little-appreciated fight to protect plants from extinction, exploitation, and smugglers hiding on the web &ndash; and how many of us are guilty of &lsquo;plant blindness&rsquo;.
Subscribe to Unearthed: Mysteries from an unseen world on your podcast app to get a new episode each fortnight.
And you can share the show or join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #KewUnearthed.
Follow @kewgardens for more insights into the magical, mysterious world of plants and fungi.
<a href="http://www.kew.org/">www.kew.org</a>
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/border-force">https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/border-force</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>

Unearthed - The need for seeds, with Cate Blanchett

Uncovering a multi-million pound smuggling trade

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2e9a850c-e6b9-48c2-afec-a8f8010f70f4/clips/9425dfa6-44d0-4285-9208-ac09010b2463/transcript

In this final episode of Unearthed: The need for seeds, Cate Blanchett looks ahead to the next 25 years of the Millennium Seed Bank – and beyond.

First stop: space. Dr Anne Visscher is a Research Fellow in the seed and stress biology team. She shares her pioneering work sending seeds to the International Space Station, revealing how experiments in orbit are helping scientists understand how plants might survive extreme environments — from future planets to a changing Earth.

Back on the ground, Senior Research Leader in seed biology Dr Louise Colville takes Cate into the cryogenic labs to uncover how scientists are developing new preservation techniques for seeds too fragile for conventional storage.

The MSB’s mission is also growing worldwide. Megan Engelhardt, Seed Bank Manager at Missouri Botanical Garden, USA, and James Amponsah, Head of the Tree Seed Centre at Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, explain how Kew’s training andexpertise are helping them to share their knowledge across the USA and Ghana.

Finally, Cate reflects on what she’s learned, banking on the knowledge that something as small as a seed can provide one of the greatest solutions to our planet’s future.

Unearthed - The need for seeds is a Fresh Air production for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.  

Series Producer: Hannah Fisher, Executive Producer: Annie Day, Director of Content: Michaela Hallam. Sound Design by Dan King.

With special thanks to everyone at Wakehurst and the Millennium Seed bank who helped with the production behind the scenes.

In this final episode of Unearthed: The need for seeds, Cate Blanchett looks ahead to the next 25 years of the Millennium Seed Bank &ndash; and beyond.
First stop: space. Dr Anne Visscher is a Research Fellow in the seed and stress biology team. She shares her pioneering work sending seeds to the International Space Station, revealing how experiments in orbit are helping scientists understand how plants might survive extreme environments &mdash; from future planets to a changing Earth.
Back on the ground, Senior Research Leader in seed biology Dr Louise Colville takes Cate into the cryogenic labs to uncover how scientists are developing new preservation techniques for seeds too fragile for conventional storage.
The MSB&rsquo;s mission is also growing worldwide. Megan Engelhardt, Seed Bank Manager at Missouri Botanical Garden, USA, and James Amponsah, Head of the Tree Seed Centre at Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, explain how Kew&rsquo;s training and expertise are helping them to share their knowledge across the USA and Ghana.
Finally, Cate reflects on what she&rsquo;s learned, banking on the knowledge that something as small as a seed can provide one of the greatest solutions to our planet&rsquo;s future.
Unearthed - The need for seeds is a Fresh Air production for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. &nbsp;
Series Producer: Hannah Fisher, Executive Producer: Annie Day, Director of Content: Michaela Hallam. Sound Design by Dan King.
With special thanks to everyone at Wakehurst and the Millennium Seed bank who helped with the production behind the scenes.

The Future: Future-proofing seeds

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2e9a850c-e6b9-48c2-afec-a8f8010f70f4/clips/55392de3-0e5f-44f5-8ebf-b38b01053999/transcript

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 Gardens, Kew.  

Series Producer: Hannah Fisher, Executive Producer: Annie Day, Director of Content: Michaela Hallam. Sound Design by Dan King.

With special thanks to everyone at Wakehurst and the Millennium Seed bank who helped with the production behind the scenes.

The Millennium Seed Bank holds over 2.5 billion seeds &ndash; 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 &mdash; skills she&rsquo;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 &mdash; 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: <a href="https://www.kew.org/seeds">www.kew.org/seeds</a>
Unearthed - The need for seeds is a Fresh Air production for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. &nbsp;
Series Producer: Hannah Fisher, Executive Producer: Annie Day, Director of Content: Michaela Hallam. Sound Design by Dan King.
With special thanks to everyone at Wakehurst and the Millennium Seed bank who helped with the production behind the scenes.

The Present: Inside the world’s largest seed bank 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2e9a850c-e6b9-48c2-afec-a8f8010f70f4/clips/724d7163-f1a4-41be-9949-b38400ac7884/transcript

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 

Unearthed - The need for seeds is a Fresh Air production for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.  

Series Producer: Hannah Fisher, Executive Producer: Annie Day, Director of Content: Michaela Hallam. Sound Design by Dan King.

With special thanks to everyone at Wakehurst and the Millennium Seed bank who helped with the production behind the scenes.

The Millennium Seed Bank started life as a modest chest freezer housed in an English chapel. It&rsquo;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&rsquo;s plants.
In this first episode of Unearthed: The need for seeds, Wakehurst ambassador Cate Blanchett dives into the rich history of Kew&rsquo;s Millennium Seed Bank with Kew&rsquo;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 &mdash; including relatives of staple crops like carrots and potatoes &mdash; 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: <a href="https://www.kew.org/seeds">www.kew.org/seeds</a>
Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kewgardens/">@kewgardens</a>
Facebook:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/kewgardens">@kewgardens</a>&nbsp;
YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNa8wJk6VYIRK78JuDSRnTQ">@kewgardens</a>&nbsp;
Unearthed - The need for seeds is a Fresh Air production for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. &nbsp;
Series Producer: Hannah Fisher, Executive Producer: Annie Day, Director of Content: Michaela Hallam. Sound Design by Dan King.
With special thanks to everyone at Wakehurst and the Millennium Seed bank who helped with the production behind the scenes.

The Past: The vision that got us here

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2e9a850c-e6b9-48c2-afec-a8f8010f70f4/clips/3e71d741-f853-41f7-af23-b37d0095086a/transcript

Uncovering a multi-million pound smuggling trade

Unearthed - The need for seeds, with Cate Blanchett

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Unearthed - The need for seeds, with Cate Blanchett

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