Kew celebrates National Science and Engineering Week - 12-21 March 2010

16 March- 19 March 2010

Behind-the-scenes tours at Kew Gardens

Inside the Herbarium at Kew Gardens

Kew is more than a beautiful garden - it is also a leading horticultural centre and a global science and conservation institution.

To celebrate National Science & Engineering Week, taking place from 12-21 March 2010, Kew is inviting members of the public to take an exclusive look behind the scenes. You will see the places where our botanists, plant geneticists and horticulturalists work together to better understand plant life and conserve at-risk plants and habitats for our future.

Take a tour

Discover the Herbarium at Kew Gardens which holds more than 7 million dried plant specimens. Some specimens date back 250 years, to the earliest days of plant collecting.
Explore Kew's high-tech Jodrell laboratory, home to Kew's cutting-edge plant science. This is where our scientists classify plants according to their DNA.
Visit the Tropical Nursery, the largest of Kew’s glasshouses, which houses plants that are either extinct or on the brink of extinction in the wild.
All tours are free, however pre-booking is essential.

Behind-the-Scenes Tour: Kew's Herbarium, Library, Art and Archives

16 March 2010. Four tours available: 10am, 11am, 2pm and 3pm
To register call 0208 332 5250. All tours start from the Herbarium reception, Kew Green, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE

Kew’s Herbarium, Library, Art and Archives is home to 7 million herbarium specimens, 300,000 books, 200,000 botanical art works and 7 million archival items – a vital resource for plant identification, research and conservation. Come and learn about this unique treasure trove of the plant world and learn more about how Kew uses these resources for biodiversity conservation around the world.

Behind-the-Scenes Tour: Kew's Jodrell Laboratory

17 March 2010. One tour is available: 11am to 12 noon
To register call the Jodrell reception on 0208 332 5312. All tours start at the Jodrell reception, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3DS. Enter via the Jodrell Gate on Kew Road.

This tour will take visitors through the three wings of the Jodrell Laboratory. Within the Jodrell, visitors will see the mycology collection (recently expanded to over one million fungi specimens) and laboratory, the palynology and chromosome laboratories, the molecular systematics laboratory and, finally, the plant DNA bank. You will also learn about the fascinating work of Kew's Sustainable Uses of Plants group. This team is involved in researching the chemistry of plants documented to have medicinal properties in order to identify active compounds that can be further researched by drug companies.

Behind-the-Scenes Tour: Kew's Tropical Nursery

18 March 2010. Four tours available: 10am, 11am, 1pm and 2pm
To register contact Carol Bliss on 0208 332 5561 or email c.bliss@kew.org. Tours start from the Main Gate on Kew Green, TW9 3AB

Kew is opening the doors of its biggest glasshouse, not usually open to the public. By joining a Tropical Nursery tour, visitors can find out more about Kew’s conservation work with orchids and plants that are either extinct (the Tropical Nursery is home to 40 such species) or on the brink of extinction in the wild. The Tropical Nursery comprises cacti & succulent, carnivorous, bromeliad, and orchid zones and this fascinating tour is also a must-see for any horticultural enthusiasts.

Related events by Kew

Take a tour of Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank located at our country estate, Wakehurst Place in West Sussex. Kew's Millennium Seed Bank is the only plant conservation facility of its kind in the world and holds seed from 10% of the world’s wild plant species. Our collection programme focuses on saving plants at risk of extinction and plants of most use for the future.

Find out more about behind-the-scenes tours at Wakehurst Place