Seeds are the beginnings of life. From the food we can grow today, to the wondrous habitats they can create. They offer us a chance to capture, store and even design the landscapes of the future.

In this episode of Unearthed: Nature needs us from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew find out how scientists around the globe are working against the clock to protect species on the brink of extinction.

From the Millennium Seed Bank - the world’s largest global seed bank for wild plant species - to intrepid collection trips in harsh conditions, Dr Mya-Rose Craig explores the breadth of current research about seeds.

Dr Katie Field from the University of Sheffield tells us the story of how plants and fungi colonised and shaped the planet we know today.

Then Joycelyn Longdon @climateincolour meets with Kew’s Charlotte Couch and The Natural History Museum’s Ben Town at Kew’s Community Allotment to discuss how everyone can benefit from biodiversity research that includes and values communities.

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

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