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Unearthed - The need for seeds, with Cate Blanchett

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.…

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The Future: Future-proofing seeds

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…

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The Present: Inside the world’s largest seed bank

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…

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The Past: The vision that got us here

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…

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Special episode: With His Majesty the King

The new series of Unearthed: The need for seeds from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew launches with a very special conversation. A long-time champion of nature, His Majesty King Charles III has shown lifelong commitment to conservation and sustainability. As Kew's Patron, he officially opened the Millennium Seed Bank in 2000 and has taken an active interest in its work ever since. His Majesty joins…

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Unearthed returns - The need for seeds, with Cate Blanchett

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…

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How does nature network?

How do nature’s wonderful systems all fit together? And how can science help us understand these for better conservation and restoration of species? In the final episode of Unearthed: Nature needs us from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Mya-Rose Craig (AKA “Birdgirl”) takes a tour of mountain systems, weather and climate, migration, cloud forests and coastlines. Find out how Kew are learning from…

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How can we regenerate nature successfully?

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…

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How can we protect pollinators?

As well as our beloved bees, pollinators include wasps, moths, hoverflies, butterflies, beetles, bats and birds. There are about 1,500 different insect species helping plants reproduce in the UK alone, and without them our world would be less colourful, less nutritious and less diverse. In this episode of Unearthed: Nature needs us from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew hear how pollinator health…

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Why do we save seeds?

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…

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Why does soil matter?

There is still so much to learn about the mysterious realm of soil. From the microscopic organisms essential to life on Earth, to the complex and wonderful associations between plants and fungi, the ground beneath your feet is teeming with life. Dr Mya-Rose Craig explores soil in this episode of Unearthed: Nature needs us from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Find out how our world’s health is…

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