Unearthed - The need for seeds, with Cate Blanchett
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
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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
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Recent Episodes
S4E4 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…
S4E3 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,…
S4E2 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.…
S4E1 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…
S4 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…
S3E6 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…
S3E5 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…
S3E4 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…
S3E3 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…
S3E2 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…
S3E1 What is the biodiversity crisis?
Nature needs us! In series 3 of Unearthed, Dr Mya-Rose Craig begins the journey into what biodiversity loss means and why it matters to protect what we have left. We find out what might happen if we…
S3 Unearthed Returns: Nature needs us
Wildlife is becoming extinct at an alarming rate and habitats are under strain. What can nature itself teach us about how to heal our planet and support biodiversity? In Unearthed, the Royal Botanic…
S2E7 Food, Health and Wellbeing in Daily Life
To round off this series, we’re heading into our own kitchens and examining how our food choices can make for better health and a better world. Advolly Richmond is joined by plant scientists and top…
S2E6 How Should We Be Growing Food?
If you have a window box, veg patch or allotment, how does the way you are growing food change your relationship with it? In this episode of Unearthed, grower and forager Poppy Okocha hears how…
S2E5 Foods of the Future
With so many of our favourite foods facing extinction, including bananas, chocolate and coffee, what will be on our kitchen tables in the future? In this episode, James Wong looks at what actions we…
S2E4 Agriculture and Livelihoods
This time, Poppy Okocha’s looking at our relationship with growing and producing foods around the world. She meets up with Jeremy Torz, one of the founders of Union Hand Roasted Coffee, to find out…
S2E3 “The Red List”: Biodiversity loss and food
Advolly Richmond is exploring how food production methods and climate change today are exacerbating issues of biodiversity loss. As conditions change and human activity intervenes with environments,…
S2E2 Supermarkets, supply and waste
James Wong takes a look at what you can do at home, versus what big business and supermarket giants are doing to make sure our food choices are transparent and production is fair and sustainable. He…
S2E1 We have a problem
The food we eat connects us to the wider world; to global history, cultures and traditions. But the practises we’ve ended up with today mean that our systems are failing and many of our favourite…
S2E1 Unearthed: Journeys Into The Future Of Food, From The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Coming on Thursday 6th October 2022
The way we produce and consume food is having a devastating impact on our natural world. How can we avoid disaster, and feed the world well? Unearthed: Journeys into the future of food, from the…
Frequently Asked Questions
Unearthed - The need for seeds, with Cate Blanchett has published 28 episodes since July 2020, covering topics in Documentary, Natural Sciences.
Unearthed - The need for seeds, with Cate Blanchett is currently dormant with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 37m.
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