Kew's Millennium Seed Bank is helping to improve seed banking worldwide and raise awareness of the importance of seed conservation

Kew has more than 30 years experience in seed conservation. Through the Millennium Seed Bank partnership we share our knowledge and experience with others and raise the profile of the importance of plants for life. From school children to the global science community and leading policy makers.

A training course in China

Helping our partners save seeds for the future

Kew's Millennium Seed Bank partnership has established a global network of partners and projects committed to saving plants world wide. We support our partners and help them develop the technical infrastructure needed to conserve seeds. We focus on saving seeds from plant life and habitats identified as at risk of extinction.

The knowledge and experience that we pass on to our partners include:

the equipment and facilities needed for successful seed conservation
an understanding of the scientific processes needed to save seeds effectively
professional training in new and improved seed conservation techniques
sharing information to support seed banking

Our training, technical support and information provision activities ensure that our partners have the skills, knowledge and facilities needed to successfully conserve seeds and meet critical global seed conservation targets.

Information sharing

While the Millennium Seed Bank partnership is primarily a collaborative, practical seed conservation activity, we are substantially underpinned by science and continuing research.

As far as possible, we aim to share the resulting data, information and knowledge with the widest audience worldwide. Actually, outside the relatively narrow field of seed conservation, much of the information we share is relevant to the wider sphere of seed biology - physiology, biochemistry, ecology, morphology, etc - and botany in general. Indeed, we expect that users of our various information products will regard us as a 'one-stop-shop' for seed biology information. Discover more about Kew's commitment to sharing knowledge, information and expertise.

Inspiring children and young people

To mark the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth Kew commissioned The Great Plant Hunt. Funded by the Wellcome Trust, this exciting project encourages children to explore the natural world around them and join other schools in the biggest ever school science project.

Forming part of the Darwin 200 Initiative, The Great Plant Hunt invites primary school children to follow in the footsteps of Darwin by going on nature walks in and around their school grounds. They'll find out more about plants and in the process learn key scientific skills.

Professional training

We offer a range of training to suit the needs of partners and collaborators. We aim to teach the science involved in seed conservation and at the same time provide practical guidance to help seed collectors, seed bank staff, and those working in seed research. Find out more about Professional training with Kew's MSBP.