Camera crews descended on a country park and seed bank to find out more about the vital work carried out there. BBC's Countryfile recorded an episode at Wakehurst near Haywards Heath, home to the Millennium Seed bank where biological records of more than 40,000 species are kept by scientists. Presenters Charlotte Smith, John Craven and Vick Hope learned about what it takes to store these seeds in the perfect conditions and what they are used for beyond storage - such as in conservation efforts and for other scientific projects.
Head of landscape and horticulture Ian Parkinson said: "With so many species facing extension, collecting seeds and safeguarding these for the future is vitally important." Some three billion seeds are kept inside the bank with some plants even growing in its meadows to make sure they are viable for the future. Charlotte and Sarah at Wakehurst (Image: Kew) Seed curation manager Sarah Gattiker showed Charlotte behind the scenes at the bank.
Sarah said: "Seeds are very clever. They are specifically designed to store, and be time capsules, so if you can get them when they are perfect they will keep for a very long time." The pair donned white lab coats as they inspected seed pods under a microscope to identify the most suitable ones for the seed bank.
Kew keeps extensive records, including GPS data, of every seed stored in its bank so they can be narrowed down to a specific time and place before going into the underground vault. Behind fortified doors, seeds are kept safe from radiation, bombs and flooding in a dedicated cold room kept at around -20 degrees Celsius. "They are dry, so it basically puts them to sleep and holds them there," said Sarah.
Beyond the fortified structure, wildflower meadows stretching for hundreds of acres are bursting with bugs, birds and flowers. Dr Janine Griffiths-Lee is studying the decline in bee populations across the country. She told viewers how Kew, which owns Wakehurst, is trying to find new plants which can support these vital pollinators as global temperatures rise.
The episode is available to watch on BBC iPlayer until August next year..
