Press Release

London teenagers help Kew scientists save plants from extinction

Budding young scientists from two Camden Schools are carrying out top-level research to help save threatened plants from extinction. Year 10 pupils at La Sainte Union School and AS Biology students at Acland Burghley School are getting hands-on experience of real research to help the scientists at Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank.

Researchers at the Millennium Seed Bank, based at Wakehurst Place, Kew’s country garden in Ardingly, West Sussex, are working to safeguard 24,000 wild plant species from extinction. Kew’s pioneering work involves collecting seeds all around the world and then preserving them in huge vaults at temperatures of -20ºC where they are expected to stay alive for tens or hundreds of years.

Pupils at La Sainte Union, a Specialist Science School, and at Acland Burghley School are playing their part in this vital conservation work by conducting classroom experiments to see how long the seeds will survive when they are placed into the Seed Bank vaults. Supplied with instructions, a laboratory kit and seeds from UK species, the young investigators are running their own experiments to see if the seeds will germinate having had different lengths of time in an accelerated ageing environment.

Dr. Fiona Hay, Collection Studies Team Manager from Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, said: “It is fantastic experience for the students involved – for the first time they are taking part in a real scientific project where there is no set answer and which will have a profound impact on saving seeds for the future for mankind. The youngsters are helping us to broaden our research and carry out a larger study than we could do within our existing resources by investing their time in this project.”

The project is part of ongoing work by Kew’s education team to raise awareness of plant science among young people. Teachers at La Sainte Union say it is great experience for their pupils to be involved in ‘real’ research.

Dr. Pari Collis, science teacher at La Sainte Union, commented: “Involvement in this project gives pupils a wonderful opportunity to learn about conservation and gain the ‘How Science Works' skills, the new investigation and enquiry strand of the Science Programme of Study.” 

Alice C in Year 10 at La Sainte Union said: “I think the project really tested our skills of how to conduct a real research project that we didn’t have previous experience of from normal science lessons.  However, we still applied what we learnt in lessons.” 

Sarah K, also in Year 10, added: “This project has really given me insight into how scientists work and has influenced me to want to carry on studying science.”

These girls, together with Megan A, Chrystel K, Yasmin O, Siobhan O and Eugenie Y, have been working on this project in a special after school club.
 
Agnes Szervanszky at Acland Burghley School commented: “Even though we are still in the middle of the experiment, the results obtained thus far have helped the students understand the importance of conservation to a greater extent.”

Charley P, one of the AS level students at Acland Burghley, said: "I would like to take botany at university so I know that this will help me in the future."

Elliott B, another student who hopes to take up a career in science, said: "It allows us the opportunity to develop good practical skills and awareness of what biology as a subject in university might entail."

Summing up for Kew, Fiona Hay said: “We are delighted with the interest and enthusiasm the project has created among the pupils taking part. We are confident more schools will want to get involved and look forward to extending the project so that more young people can play their part in saving seeds for the future.”

ENDS

Further information from:

Anna Quenby, Bronwyn Friedlander or Catherine Owen in the Press Office, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 0208 332 5607 or pr@kew.org

Dr. Pari Collis, science teacher at La Sainte Union Catholic School for Girls     pcollis@lsu.camden.sch.uk

Agnes Szervanszky at Acland Burghley School
agnes@szervanszky.net

Notes to Editors

The Millennium Seed Bank is the largest wild plant seed bank in the world, owned and managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and located at Wakehurst Place, RBG Kew’s site in West Sussex. The Millennium Seed Bank Project is one of the most ambitious conservation projects in the world.  Conceived after the first Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, the Millennium Seed Bank Project was based on the three central tenets of the Convention on Biological Diversity: conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits. By 2010, RBG Kew and its partners will have collected and conserved seed from 10% of the world’s wild flowering plant species       (c.30, 000 species). The Millennium Seed Bank has the capacity to store up to half the world’s wild flowering plant species and already holds 96% of the UK’s flora. Species for collection and conservation are prioritised by Kew’s partners, all are endangered, rare and of potential economic value. The Millennium Seed Bank Project has been made possible with generous funding from the Millennium Commission, the Wellcome Trust and Orange plc and other donors. The Millennium Seed Bank has no secured funding beyond 2010.  For further information, visit www.kew.org/msbp

For further Press information please contact: