• 279 partners in more than 100 countries join celebration of efforts to bank nearly 2.5 billion seeds from over 40,000 species

• Anniversary events include launch of new podcast series Unearthed: The Need for Seeds with Cate Blanchett, and a Seeds Future Fund to help finance the future of the MSB’s critical work

• Cumbria Wildlife Trust works collaboratively with Kew as part of the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership, to collect seeds from rare and threatened plant species in Cumbria, supporting both the MSB and the charity’s conservation and nature recovery aims

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is proud to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB), the world’s largest wild plant seed bank and home to some of the planet’s most precious biodiversity. 

Located at Kew’s wild botanic garden in Wakehurst, Sussex, UK, the MSB houses nearly 2.5 billion seeds from over 40,000 species, collected and banked through a huge collaborative effort involving 279 partners from 100 countries. This partnership has made the MSB what it is today, both a vital safeguard for biodiversity and a dynamic hub for research, restoration and collaboration. With 45% of all flowering plants at risk of extinction, its role couldn’t be more important. 

The MSB goes beyond collecting and storing seeds for the future. Its collections are actively being used by researchers and conservationists worldwide to restore habitats and revive degraded ecosystems; support local communities by improving livelihoods and food security; conduct cutting-edge research on climate adaptation, cryopreservation and seed longevity; and train the next generation of seed experts. 

Since 2010, the MSB has contributed to over 100 restoration projects in the UK and around the world alongside partners globally. 

Cumbria Wildlife Trust has been part of Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank Partnership since 2022. The MSB has guided us on setting up the seed bank at our northern base at Gosling Sike, Houghton near Carlisle. This includes collecting and storing endemic and endangered species from sites around the county, following the MSB’s Seed Conservation Standards. The Partnership has trained 25 members of staff and volunteers in how to efficiently collect, clean and store seeds. Local people have been involved with seed collecting, processing (drying, cleaning and storing), cataloguing, growing and planting out.

We've sent seed collections to the Millennium Seed Bank as part of its UK Threatened Flora Project, adding to the UK conservation collections and providing a resource for conservation and research. Other seeds are being stored onsite at Gosling Sike, grown in polytunnels and planted out, helping to restore local nature-depleted sites. This is making our public spaces here in Cumbria, including nature reserves and roadside verges, much richer in biodiversity.

There are now over 200 species in the Gosling Sike seed bank, from grassland habitats to rare orchid. A total of 40,000 plants are being grown for the Cumbria Seed Bank Project (funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund). A young volunteer group has been set up as part of this project and in summer 2026, they’ll be making a trip to visit the MSB, to inspire future generations of horticulturalists. The Seed Bank Project has also enabled us to take on a horticultural apprentice.   

Adam McGinley, Horticulture Manager for Cumbria  Wildlife Trust, manages the seed bank and wildflower nursery at Gosling Sike, our beautiful nature hub and wildlife garden near Carlisle, where 25 nursery volunteers regularly come to help grow the plants. Adam was recently selected, from applicants worldwide, to take part in the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership’s Seed Conservation Techniques course.

Adam said: “We’re very proud to be in the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership. Our seed bank at Gosling Sike is the first of its kind in Cumbria and is helping to support rare and threatened plants, such as small white orchid, field gentian, petty whin and globeflower.”

Adam explains why the seed bank is important: “Over the last 75 years across England we’ve lost 97% of our flower-rich meadows, 50% of our hedgerows, and 60% of flowering plants are in decline. And stats show that losses in Cumbria reflect this national picture. To combat this, we’re working with local communities, landowners and partners to act for nature’s recovery, by allowing people to be involved in our seed collection, growing activities and supporting habitat restoration efforts across the county, through the supply of specialist and local plants.

“The growing of local plants and flowers is hugely important for nature restoration as it ensures the plants are better adapted to the local soil and climate. Increasing available habitat for wildlife is key for tackling the problem of biodiversity loss.” 

Dr Elinor Breman, Senior Research Leader – Millennium Seed Bank Partnership says: ‘Global collaboration is at the heart of the MSB’s success, and we want to thank each and every one of our partners for all of their hard work, dedication and passion over the past 25 years. The coming years are going to be some of the toughest we have ever faced but it’s reassuring to know initiatives like the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership are there to protect our biodiversity and help restore vital plant species for the benefit and wellbeing of us all. The species preserved will help us tackle the challenges we face, from climate change to biodiversity loss. We look forward to seeing what we can achieve in the next 25 through our partnerships.’

25th anniversary events 

The anniversary will see the launch of a new series of Kew’s award-winning podcast, Unearthed: The Need for Seeds with Kew’s Ambassador for Wakehurst, Cate Blanchett, out now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Kew is also launching a £30m Seed Future Fund to raise funds to support the MSB’s critical scientific mission to prevent plant extinction, restore species-rich habitats and provide nature-based solutions. People can make a gift to the MSB 25 appeal by visiting www.kew.org/seeds. 

For visitors to the UK, there is an opportunity to visit the MSB at Wakehurst throughout the year, with regular family engagement activities that tell the story of seed banking for a younger audience. 

We'd like to thank Cumbria Waste Management Environment Trust and the Green Recovery Challenge Fund for funding the seed bank at Gosling Sike, and The National Lottery Heritage Fund for funding the two-year Cumbria Seed Bank Project (2025-27) to re-introduce and bolster 14 rare plant species at selected locations in South Lakeland.