Cate Blanchett Announced as Inaugural Wakehurst Ambassador on Earth Day

Cate Blanchett has been announced as the first ever Ambassador of Wakehurst today, on Earth Day (22 April 2024).

Passionate about the environment, Blanchett has accepted an invitation from Wakehurst, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew’s wild botanic garden in the heart of Sussex and home to the Millennium Seed Bank, to help highlight the global impact of its ground-breaking work. Considered to be one of the most biodiverse places on earth, it aims to find science based solutions to some of the most pressing challenges that the planet faces. Through her advocacy she hopes to raise awareness of the extraordinary work of the seed bank.

Confirming the news on Earth Day, a worldwide day focused on support for environmental protection, Blanchett says: “I am delighted to be Wakehurst’s inaugural ambassador. I find the work done here to be utterly inspiring, and a genuine insurance policy against extinction of wild flora and fauna. The Millennium Seed Bank is a beacon of hope and international cooperation at a time when we’ve never needed it more.”

Already a regular Wakehurst visitor, Blanchett enjoys walks in the 535 acres of diverse and unspoilt landscape, filled with plants from around the world.

She adds: “Apart from it being a rich hub, Wakehurst is such a beautiful place to lose yourself in nature, in the immense varieties of trees, plants and grasses, that I want to help spread the word about this unique and stunning landscape that positively impacts all of our lives.”

Cate joins an existing programme of eleven esteemed Ambassadors and Champions who support the work of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, including fellow actors Dame Judi Dench, Emilia Fox and Kim Cattrall, botanist James Wong and garden historian and TV presenter Advolly Richmond, amongst others.

Richard Deverell, Director of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, said: "I am really delighted to welcome Cate into our fantastic Ambassador programme. She has been a powerful advocate on social and environmental issues throughout her career and I know she holds special affection for our wild botanic garden, Wakehurst, home to the Millennium Seed Bank. We look forward to working with Cate to bring the wonders of what we do to a wider audience and to celebrate nature together."

Based near Haywards Heath, Wakehurst offers visitors a stunning mix of formal gardens, wild meadows, woodlands and wetlands. There is also a chance to set foot inside the Millennium Seed Bank which houses an incredible collection of over 2.4 billion seeds from around the globe, stored underground to preserve them for the future.

Marilena Reina, Head of Marketing and Strategic Communications at Wakehurst, said: “Wakehurst is so much more than a walk in a beautiful wild botanic garden: it is a vital living laboratory where conservation science thrives across our biodiverse landscapes and in our labs. With Cate’s support we want to share why Wakehurst matters, and the reasons connecting to and protecting nature for future generations is so important.”

A film message from Blanchett is available at www.kew.org/wakehurst. Visitors can find out more about Wakehurst and book tickets via the same site.

More information on the Kew Ambassadors programme here: https://www.kew.org/about-us/who-we-are/ambassadors-and-champions

For press enquiries, including images of Cate at Wakehurst, please contact Emma Donnan on emma@busybee-pr.com / 07917 650081.

Notes for Editors

About Wakehurst

Wakehurst is Kew’s wild botanic garden in the Sussex High Weald. Its ancient and beautiful landscapes span 535 acres and are a place for escape, exploration, tranquillity, and wonder. Its diverse collection of plants from Britain and around the globe thrive within a tapestry of innovative gardens, temperate woodlands, meadows, and wetlands. Wakehurst is a centre for UK biodiversity and global conservation, seed research and ecosystem science. At its heart is Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, the world’s largest store of seeds from wild plant species.

Whilst Wakehurst is not a National Trust property, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has a longstanding relationship with the National Trust dating back to 1965 when Kew took over the running of the Wakehurst’s 535 acres of botanical landscapes and Elizabethan Mansion. Since then, we’ve been working together to find the best ways to protect nature, prevent biodiversity loss, and build a better tomorrow.

About Cate

Cate Blanchett is an internationally acclaimed, multi award-winning actor, producer, humanitarian and environmental campaigner. Her film credits include Elizabeth, The Lord Of The Rings Series, Tár, The Aviator, Blue Jasmine, Carol, Ocean’s 8 and Don’t Look Up. Cate is a Global Goodwill Ambassador for the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency; Council Member for The Earthshot Prize; and Lifetime Ambassador for the Australian Conservation Foundation. She has co-created and hosted the award-winning environmental podcast Climate of Change alongside clean technology expert Danny Kennedy which addresses eco-anxiety and hope in the face of climate change. Amongst many accolades, Blanchett (with Andrew Upton) was awarded the Green Globe Award for her influential work at Sydney Theatre Company while Co Artistic Director and CEO, having transformed the company into one of the world’s greenest arts organisations, and installing Australia’s second-largest rooftop solar array there. Netflix’s new nature documentary Our Living World, released 17 April 2024, is narrated by Blanchett.

About Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world-famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding collections and scientific expertise in plant and fungal diversity, conservation, and sustainable development in the UK and around the globe. Kew’s scientists and partners lead the way in the fight against biodiversity loss and finding nature-based solutions to the climate crisis, aided by five key scientific priorities outlined in Kew’s Science Strategy 2021-2025.

Kew Gardens is also a major international and top London visitor attraction. Kew’s 132 hectares of historic, landscaped gardens, and Wakehurst, Kew’s Wild Botanic Garden and ‘living laboratory’, attract over 2.5 million visits every year. Kew Gardens was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and celebrated its 260th anniversary in 2019. Wakehurst is home to the Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild plant seed bank in the world and a safeguard against the disastrous effects of climate change and biodiversity loss. RBG Kew received approximately one third of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needed to support RBG Kew’s vital scientific and educational work comes from donors, memberships and commercial activity including ticket sales. For tickets, please visit www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens/tickets. Since implementing a new accessibility scheme for those in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Legacy Benefits, Kew has welcomed over 60,000 visitors with £1 tickets.