1 00:00:03,630 --> 00:00:07,139 Cate Blanchett: Welcome to a new chapter of Unearthed from the Royal 2 00:00:07,140 --> 00:00:11,340 Cate Blanchett: Botanic Gardens, Kew. Now, this series is a little bit 3 00:00:11,340 --> 00:00:15,750 Cate Blanchett: different for an exciting reason because this year marks the 4 00:00:15,750 --> 00:00:20,009 Cate Blanchett: 25th anniversary of the Millennium Seed Bank. Now, the Millennium 5 00:00:20,010 --> 00:00:23,820 Cate Blanchett: Seed Bank is the largest store of wild seeds on 6 00:00:23,910 --> 00:00:28,020 Cate Blanchett: earth, and it's also the most biodiverse place on the 7 00:00:28,020 --> 00:00:32,519 Cate Blanchett: planet. The roots of this extraordinary initiative lie tucked away 8 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:36,659 Cate Blanchett: deep in the Sussex countryside at Wakehurst, Kew's wild botanic 9 00:00:36,659 --> 00:00:40,949 Cate Blanchett: garden, but its impact stretches far beyond those quiet hills. 10 00:00:41,729 --> 00:00:44,850 Cate Blanchett: You might be thinking, " Well, that's fascinating, but why does 11 00:00:44,850 --> 00:00:49,229 Cate Blanchett: it matter to me?" Because the future of life on 12 00:00:49,229 --> 00:00:53,310 Cate Blanchett: Earth may very well depend on the seeds stored within 13 00:00:53,310 --> 00:00:58,230 Cate Blanchett: this bank. I'm Cate Blanchett, and I'm so passionate about 14 00:00:58,230 --> 00:01:02,640 Cate Blanchett: the Millennium Seed Bank's mission that I've become Kew's Ambassador for Wakehurst. And 15 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,450 Cate Blanchett: the work done here is vital. But don't just take 16 00:01:06,450 --> 00:01:10,589 Cate Blanchett: my word for it. In this special episode marking a 17 00:01:10,590 --> 00:01:15,179 Cate Blanchett: momentous milestone, you'll hear from another voice, one that has 18 00:01:15,180 --> 00:01:20,399 Cate Blanchett: long championed the natural world. On a sunny summer afternoon 19 00:01:20,700 --> 00:01:24,630 Cate Blanchett: Kew's Senior Research Leader in Seed Conservation, Dr. Elinor Breman 20 00:01:24,690 --> 00:01:27,750 Cate Blanchett: and I were invited to the private gardens of Windsor 21 00:01:27,750 --> 00:01:31,470 Cate Blanchett: Castle where we had the honor of speaking about the Millennium 22 00:01:31,470 --> 00:01:36,630 Cate Blanchett: Seed Bank with Kew's patron, His Majesty, The King. Now 23 00:01:36,630 --> 00:01:41,220 Cate Blanchett: you may hear the occasional rumble overhead. Windsor lies directly 24 00:01:41,220 --> 00:01:44,310 Cate Blanchett: beneath a busy fight path. It's a gentle reminder perhaps 25 00:01:44,310 --> 00:01:49,110 Cate Blanchett: that nature is so often interrupted by human activity. King 26 00:01:49,110 --> 00:01:52,350 Cate Blanchett: Charles has a deep connection to the natural world, and 27 00:01:52,350 --> 00:01:55,860 Cate Blanchett: this is evident through decades of conservation and philanthropic work. 28 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:59,250 Cate Blanchett: But you may not know that he opened the Millennium 29 00:01:59,250 --> 00:02:03,360 Cate Blanchett: Seed Bank back in the year 2000, and has taken an active 30 00:02:03,390 --> 00:02:05,490 Cate Blanchett: interest in its progress ever since. 31 00:02:08,130 --> 00:02:10,290 Dr. Elinor Breman: I wanted to take you back to the start of 32 00:02:10,290 --> 00:02:11,609 Dr. Elinor Breman: the Millennium Seed Bank. 33 00:02:11,610 --> 00:02:11,851 King Charles: Were you there when I came? 34 00:02:11,851 --> 00:02:15,330 Dr. Elinor Breman: I was not, unfortunately. I wish I had been. And I 35 00:02:15,330 --> 00:02:18,270 Dr. Elinor Breman: wasn't even there when you came back in 2019. 36 00:02:18,270 --> 00:02:18,390 King Charles: Really? 37 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:22,260 Dr. Elinor Breman: But it's been wonderful to have your involvement and support 38 00:02:22,410 --> 00:02:24,810 Dr. Elinor Breman: for all of that time, so thank you so much. 39 00:02:24,870 --> 00:02:25,200 King Charles: No, because I knew how important it was. 40 00:02:27,389 --> 00:02:30,300 Cate Blanchett: It was such an innovative, state of the art and 41 00:02:30,330 --> 00:02:36,090 Cate Blanchett: bold initiative, so future- facing, but now it's just so 42 00:02:36,090 --> 00:02:39,780 Cate Blanchett: vital. And you've been such a pioneer in this space. 43 00:02:39,810 --> 00:02:44,669 King Charles: I do forget that, was it 40 something years ago? 45 years ago? I remember I 44 00:02:44,669 --> 00:02:49,440 King Charles: became a patron of the Henry Doubleday Research Association, which has 45 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:52,980 King Charles: now become Garden Organic. But in those days, it was 46 00:02:52,980 --> 00:03:00,180 King Charles: actually rescuing all the heritage vegetables and fruits and plants 47 00:03:00,180 --> 00:03:04,710 King Charles: and everything. Because at the time, all the old varieties were 48 00:03:04,710 --> 00:03:07,801 King Charles: being thrown away, wasn't considered as well. 49 00:03:07,801 --> 00:03:07,802 Dr. Elinor Breman: They were being lost. Right. Yeah. 50 00:03:07,802 --> 00:03:10,110 King Charles: And the same with, that's why I became patron of the 51 00:03:10,169 --> 00:03:12,839 King Charles: Rare Breed Survival Trust, to help with the native breeds 52 00:03:12,990 --> 00:03:16,799 King Charles: matter. Everything was being shrunk down to the absolute minimum 53 00:03:17,130 --> 00:03:23,190 King Charles: for maximum production purposes. Anything that was not maximum production 54 00:03:23,190 --> 00:03:24,510 King Charles: was not considered vital. 55 00:03:24,510 --> 00:03:24,511 Dr. Elinor Breman: Was gone. 56 00:03:24,511 --> 00:03:28,260 King Charles: But I just felt it was critical to keep the balance always. 57 00:03:28,260 --> 00:03:28,351 Dr. Elinor Breman: They're very foresighted. 58 00:03:28,351 --> 00:03:32,160 King Charles: Because you may need them at a later stage. Don't throw them away. 59 00:03:32,550 --> 00:03:32,610 Dr. Elinor Breman: No. 60 00:03:33,180 --> 00:03:37,440 King Charles: So it was quite difficult. I know how absolute critical it 61 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:41,040 King Charles: all is in the destruction of rainforests, the extinction of 62 00:03:41,460 --> 00:03:46,591 King Charles: endless species which have very likely remarkable properties, medical and everything else, without any concern. 63 00:03:46,591 --> 00:03:54,150 Cate Blanchett: Yes. It's sort of we understand the built world and the history, but we don't think about the 64 00:03:54,150 --> 00:03:55,500 Cate Blanchett: history contained within a seed. 65 00:03:55,530 --> 00:03:55,590 King Charles: No, no, no. 66 00:03:56,250 --> 00:03:59,070 Cate Blanchett: And the importance of... I only actually became aware of 67 00:03:59,070 --> 00:04:01,500 Cate Blanchett: the concept of an allium seed through the work that 68 00:04:01,710 --> 00:04:05,460 Cate Blanchett: you've done, so it's been so influential and much appreciated. 69 00:04:05,460 --> 00:04:05,940 King Charles: Thank you. 70 00:04:05,940 --> 00:04:08,790 Cate Blanchett: But it's all contained and the Seed Bank 25 years on. 71 00:04:08,850 --> 00:04:12,180 Dr. Elinor Breman: I know. So it was interesting because it relates to 72 00:04:12,180 --> 00:04:15,300 Dr. Elinor Breman: that... The origins of seed banking of wild plants came 73 00:04:15,300 --> 00:04:18,659 Dr. Elinor Breman: from agriculture and seed saving. And then, one of the 74 00:04:18,660 --> 00:04:20,880 Dr. Elinor Breman: things at the heart of the Millennium Seed Bank, apart 75 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:24,270 Dr. Elinor Breman: from plant conservation on a global scale, was really that 76 00:04:24,270 --> 00:04:27,360 Dr. Elinor Breman: engagement with the public and making them understand the need 77 00:04:27,420 --> 00:04:30,539 Dr. Elinor Breman: for the conservation. So this is a mini seed bank 78 00:04:30,540 --> 00:04:31,830 Dr. Elinor Breman: in a Tupperware box. 79 00:04:32,850 --> 00:04:33,481 Cate Blanchett: State of the art. 80 00:04:33,481 --> 00:04:35,400 Dr. Elinor Breman: State of the art, doesn't get any better than this. But you can 81 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,640 Dr. Elinor Breman: bank seeds to international kind of standards just with this 82 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,580 Dr. Elinor Breman: box. And it was something that we developed just after 83 00:04:41,580 --> 00:04:44,669 Dr. Elinor Breman: the Seed Bank opened so that anyone visiting could take 84 00:04:44,670 --> 00:04:47,250 Dr. Elinor Breman: a piece of this science and the conservation home with 85 00:04:47,250 --> 00:04:49,050 Dr. Elinor Breman: them and feel like it was something they could do. 86 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:53,640 Dr. Elinor Breman: Getting people engaged in conservation has been such a vital 87 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:54,690 Dr. Elinor Breman: piece of the work. 88 00:04:55,380 --> 00:04:58,860 King Charles: I'm so glad. Because now what is it? It's 85% 89 00:04:58,860 --> 00:04:59,430 King Charles: or something of the indigenous plants here are collected. 90 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:05,039 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yeah, so we've managed to bank already 85% of the 91 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:09,420 Dr. Elinor Breman: UK's threshened flora. So there's some seeds that you can't 92 00:05:09,420 --> 00:05:12,721 Dr. Elinor Breman: bank. They just don't like being dried and frozen. 93 00:05:12,721 --> 00:05:13,111 Cate Blanchett: Recalciant. 94 00:05:13,890 --> 00:05:16,320 Dr. Elinor Breman: Recalciant. It's a great name for them, isn't it? But 95 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:18,750 Dr. Elinor Breman: of those that we can bank, we're about 98% there. 96 00:05:18,750 --> 00:05:21,719 Dr. Elinor Breman: So now we're trying to capture more genetic diversity within 97 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:24,720 Dr. Elinor Breman: those, just make sure that we've got them collected from 98 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:27,210 Dr. Elinor Breman: all the populations across the UK. We've done some great 99 00:05:27,210 --> 00:05:30,480 Dr. Elinor Breman: work on UK trees. And in fact, some elms as 100 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,930 Dr. Elinor Breman: part of a conservation program that we've been doing with 101 00:05:33,930 --> 00:05:36,480 Dr. Elinor Breman: Natural England are actually out here in the Windsor Great 102 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:40,801 Dr. Elinor Breman: Park. Yeah. So we've sent some material back from the brink. 103 00:05:40,801 --> 00:05:41,190 King Charles: Well done. Yes, yes, yes. 104 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:45,029 Dr. Elinor Breman: Well, thank you for providing a home for them. 105 00:05:45,029 --> 00:05:47,460 King Charles: No, no, no. Well, I keep trying to provide homes for 106 00:05:47,460 --> 00:05:50,190 King Charles: lots of these sort of things I get given. I went to the National Pinetum the other day in Bedgebury. 107 00:05:52,500 --> 00:05:53,010 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yeah, wonderful place. 108 00:05:53,010 --> 00:05:55,740 King Charles: Which did start with Kew. 109 00:05:55,980 --> 00:05:55,981 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yes. 110 00:05:55,981 --> 00:05:56,279 King Charles: Was it in 1925 or was it '29? 111 00:05:58,080 --> 00:05:59,580 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yeah, it was back in the '20s, I'm not sure 112 00:05:59,580 --> 00:06:00,089 Dr. Elinor Breman: which year. 113 00:06:00,660 --> 00:06:02,221 King Charles: But they've got this incredible collection there. 114 00:06:02,221 --> 00:06:02,222 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yeah. No, absolutely. Priceless. 115 00:06:02,222 --> 00:06:06,120 King Charles: They've given me something there to try and see if you can... 116 00:06:06,450 --> 00:06:08,789 Dr. Elinor Breman: Oh, fantastic. And see if it can grow here as well. 117 00:06:10,110 --> 00:06:13,290 Cate Blanchett: I understand there's been a lot of regeneration of this 118 00:06:13,620 --> 00:06:14,820 Cate Blanchett: part of the private garden as well. 119 00:06:14,821 --> 00:06:15,090 King Charles: Yes. 120 00:06:15,420 --> 00:06:18,089 Cate Blanchett: That's a real labor of love. This didn't look like this three or four years ago. 121 00:06:18,089 --> 00:06:20,700 King Charles: Yeah. Because I've been making more beds. I marked them all 122 00:06:20,700 --> 00:06:22,140 King Charles: out where I wanted them. 123 00:06:22,141 --> 00:06:22,142 Cate Blanchett: It's a beautiful design. 124 00:06:22,142 --> 00:06:29,700 King Charles: And more trees and things, but trying to keep them going is the problem with this 125 00:06:29,820 --> 00:06:31,920 King Charles: dry weather. 126 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:35,760 Cate Blanchett: Well, to think that you have to drought-proof of garden here in this bucolic isle is... 127 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:39,000 King Charles: Absolutely, because the key nowadays I think is I've been trying to do 128 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,359 King Charles: for years is take the rainwater off the roofs and 129 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:44,279 King Charles: somehow get it onto the garden. 130 00:06:44,490 --> 00:06:44,580 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yes. 131 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:47,010 King Charles: And the grey water is the other thing I've been 132 00:06:47,010 --> 00:06:47,909 King Charles: trying to show what you can do with. 133 00:06:48,779 --> 00:06:51,659 Cate Blanchett: But what you can do with black water too, it 134 00:06:51,660 --> 00:06:52,980 Cate Blanchett: can be purified to drinking. 135 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:53,339 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yeah. 136 00:06:53,339 --> 00:06:58,710 Cate Blanchett: But as an Australian, I'm water obsessed. And in fact, 137 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:02,580 Cate Blanchett: I was really humble, but also inspired by the work 138 00:07:02,580 --> 00:07:05,670 Cate Blanchett: that the Seed Bank had done with partner organizations in 139 00:07:05,670 --> 00:07:12,180 Cate Blanchett: Australia. And after the 2019 bushfires at Cudlee Creek, almost 140 00:07:12,180 --> 00:07:16,380 Cate Blanchett: 30,000 hectares were destroyed and there were many species that 141 00:07:16,380 --> 00:07:18,869 Cate Blanchett: were in danger of being completely wiped out. But of 142 00:07:18,870 --> 00:07:23,250 Cate Blanchett: course, with the South Australian Seed Conservation Center, they had 143 00:07:23,250 --> 00:07:26,160 Cate Blanchett: banked over a thousand seeds of a key variety. 144 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:31,020 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yes. It's clover glycine. It was a rare species vulnerable 145 00:07:31,020 --> 00:07:34,470 Dr. Elinor Breman: in Australia, and our partners in Australia had banked it 146 00:07:34,470 --> 00:07:37,380 Dr. Elinor Breman: in 2007, but it had only ever been a small 147 00:07:37,380 --> 00:07:39,600 Dr. Elinor Breman: collection because there were only a few plants left in the wild. 148 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:43,470 Dr. Elinor Breman: And unfortunately they were lost during those bushfires, but we 149 00:07:43,470 --> 00:07:45,300 Dr. Elinor Breman: were able to send them back the seeds and they 150 00:07:45,300 --> 00:07:49,050 Dr. Elinor Breman: could propagate new plants and collect more seeds. And it's 151 00:07:49,050 --> 00:07:51,990 Dr. Elinor Breman: been a really successful reintroduction story. And I think it 152 00:07:51,990 --> 00:07:55,590 Dr. Elinor Breman: just shows the value of seed banking. It's not a 153 00:07:55,590 --> 00:07:57,990 Dr. Elinor Breman: static place. It's not that we want the seeds to 154 00:07:57,990 --> 00:08:00,150 Dr. Elinor Breman: end up in the bank. They're there for safekeeping. But 155 00:08:00,150 --> 00:08:01,980 Dr. Elinor Breman: the whole idea is they're going to be plants in 156 00:08:01,980 --> 00:08:05,340 Dr. Elinor Breman: a landscape, not seeds in a glass jar in a 157 00:08:05,340 --> 00:08:08,010 Dr. Elinor Breman: minus 20 freezer. That's where they need to be for 158 00:08:08,010 --> 00:08:08,731 Dr. Elinor Breman: now, but it's not their end story. 159 00:08:08,731 --> 00:08:14,520 King Charles: Because I was riveted in Australia last year, I managed 160 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:17,550 King Charles: to go and visit them briefly, the Botanic Gardens in Canberra. 161 00:08:18,090 --> 00:08:18,480 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yes. 162 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:20,971 King Charles: But their particular place where they do the smoke testing. 163 00:08:20,971 --> 00:08:24,210 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yeah. So we've got some here. 164 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:26,461 King Charles: They told me about all this there. 165 00:08:26,461 --> 00:08:26,461 Cate Blanchett: Senecios. 166 00:08:26,461 --> 00:08:26,462 King Charles: Senecios, yes. 167 00:08:26,462 --> 00:08:30,510 Dr. Elinor Breman: So these are fire- adapted species, so you have to adapt to 168 00:08:30,510 --> 00:08:34,140 Dr. Elinor Breman: your environment. And these guys will only open once a 169 00:08:34,140 --> 00:08:36,510 Dr. Elinor Breman: fire has been through. So this one, the seed pods 170 00:08:36,510 --> 00:08:38,910 Dr. Elinor Breman: are still closed. We had to blowtorch this- 171 00:08:38,910 --> 00:08:39,329 King Charles: Did you? Right. Senecios. 172 00:08:39,330 --> 00:08:43,320 Dr. Elinor Breman: ... In the lab to get it open because they'll only respond to fire. 173 00:08:43,530 --> 00:08:43,650 King Charles: Yep. 174 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:46,679 Dr. Elinor Breman: And then these are another species of Leucadendron from South Africa, 175 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:48,450 Dr. Elinor Breman: also only responds to fires. 176 00:08:48,929 --> 00:08:51,960 Cate Blanchett: So these are the Banksia seeds. There's nothing ugly in nature. 177 00:08:52,140 --> 00:08:54,660 Cate Blanchett: This one is open. It looks like a series of 178 00:08:54,660 --> 00:08:58,470 Cate Blanchett: little mouths, hard little mouths where the seeds have popped 179 00:08:58,470 --> 00:09:01,679 Cate Blanchett: out. And this one is a, well, it's a bit like a toilet brush. 180 00:09:02,429 --> 00:09:04,230 Dr. Elinor Breman: It is a little bit like a toilet brush or 181 00:09:04,230 --> 00:09:07,140 Dr. Elinor Breman: a microphone, yes. It does look a little bit like 182 00:09:07,140 --> 00:09:09,660 Dr. Elinor Breman: a cone. It's not botanically a cone, but it kind 183 00:09:09,660 --> 00:09:12,270 Dr. Elinor Breman: of has that feeling of being a cone. I don't 184 00:09:12,270 --> 00:09:13,740 Dr. Elinor Breman: know if you want to smell this, but it smells 185 00:09:13,740 --> 00:09:14,250 Dr. Elinor Breman: of smoke. 186 00:09:14,250 --> 00:09:14,728 King Charles: No, this exactly is. 187 00:09:15,300 --> 00:09:18,735 Dr. Elinor Breman: We put it in as a smoke solution to get 188 00:09:18,735 --> 00:09:21,480 Dr. Elinor Breman: the seeds to think that they've been through a fire 189 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:24,750 Dr. Elinor Breman: episode. And only then will they start to germinate. So 190 00:09:24,750 --> 00:09:27,240 Dr. Elinor Breman: we have to tease out and mimic the environment of 191 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,540 Dr. Elinor Breman: all these 40,000 different species that we hold in the 192 00:09:30,540 --> 00:09:33,240 Dr. Elinor Breman: bank, because it's so important to know how to turn 193 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:35,819 Dr. Elinor Breman: the seed back into a plant. That's the vital step 194 00:09:35,820 --> 00:09:39,630 Dr. Elinor Breman: in the restoration of all of our global habitats that 195 00:09:39,630 --> 00:09:40,590 Dr. Elinor Breman: we're all depending on. 196 00:09:40,590 --> 00:09:40,680 King Charles: Right. 197 00:09:41,100 --> 00:09:43,380 Dr. Elinor Breman: So yeah, I think for me that part of the 198 00:09:43,380 --> 00:09:46,140 Dr. Elinor Breman: work of the seed bank is vital and the expertise 199 00:09:46,140 --> 00:09:47,250 Dr. Elinor Breman: that people have built up there. 200 00:09:47,250 --> 00:09:50,880 King Charles: But I wonder how long it took these ones to adapt to the idea of fire 201 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:51,809 King Charles: was the critical? 202 00:09:52,170 --> 00:09:53,160 Dr. Elinor Breman: Well, fire has been- 203 00:09:53,161 --> 00:09:54,450 Cate Blanchett: 40, 000 years. 204 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,540 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yeah, exactly. Part of the landscape for a long time. 205 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:01,860 Cate Blanchett: These, even though they are fire resilient and have adapted, 206 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:05,550 Cate Blanchett: the last few bushfires, the intensity of the heat has 207 00:10:05,550 --> 00:10:08,790 Cate Blanchett: been such that it's making it even difficult for these 208 00:10:08,790 --> 00:10:11,520 Cate Blanchett: seeds to survive. And even though they're part of the 209 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:15,479 Cate Blanchett: regeneration process after a bushfire, it's just so hot that 210 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:17,670 Cate Blanchett: it's a challenge even for these ones to survive. 211 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:21,000 King Charles: Which is why I think the great thing is, and 212 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,640 King Charles: another thing I tried to do 35 years ago, was to try and see if I 213 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:27,510 King Charles: could collate another kind of seed bank of all the indigenous 214 00:10:27,750 --> 00:10:32,371 King Charles: traditional knowledge and wisdom around the world. But in those days, it wouldn't help in any way. 215 00:10:32,371 --> 00:10:32,641 Cate Blanchett: No. 216 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:35,520 King Charles: So now the great thing is there are more and 217 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:39,750 King Charles: more efforts. One of my organizations I started, the Circular 218 00:10:39,750 --> 00:10:43,650 King Charles: Bioeconomy Alliance, been trying to help set up these fire 219 00:10:43,650 --> 00:10:48,450 King Charles: resilience initiatives, particularly in Calder that I discovered in Australia 220 00:10:48,450 --> 00:10:53,130 King Charles: because they learned so much from the Aboriginal knowledge and 221 00:10:53,130 --> 00:10:56,490 King Charles: understanding to make sure you'd burn it off. 222 00:10:56,550 --> 00:10:57,540 Cate Blanchett: The mosaic burning. 223 00:10:59,670 --> 00:10:59,940 King Charles: The fuel load. 224 00:10:59,940 --> 00:11:02,579 Cate Blanchett: I had gone to Uluru 25 years ago and two 225 00:11:02,580 --> 00:11:04,860 Cate Blanchett: years ago where took my four children back because they'd 226 00:11:04,860 --> 00:11:07,979 Cate Blanchett: never been to Central Australia. And the difference in the 227 00:11:07,980 --> 00:11:10,800 Cate Blanchett: landscape, because it had been handed over to Indigenous land 228 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:13,710 Cate Blanchett: managers, was profound. It was La Nina, so it was 229 00:11:13,710 --> 00:11:17,819 Cate Blanchett: very green, but the diversity of grasses and the wildlife 230 00:11:17,820 --> 00:11:20,729 Cate Blanchett: that had had been brought back to the base of 231 00:11:20,730 --> 00:11:23,880 Cate Blanchett: the rock was just, it made me weep. It was 232 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:25,830 Cate Blanchett: extraordinary, really extraordinary. 233 00:11:26,100 --> 00:11:28,020 Dr. Elinor Breman: And nature is resilient. And if we give her the 234 00:11:28,020 --> 00:11:30,329 Dr. Elinor Breman: chance, she will come back. 235 00:11:30,330 --> 00:11:30,540 King Charles: That's right. 236 00:11:31,380 --> 00:11:33,809 Dr. Elinor Breman: So I see the Seed Bank as buying time to 237 00:11:33,809 --> 00:11:36,540 Dr. Elinor Breman: give nature that chance and to be able to have 238 00:11:36,540 --> 00:11:39,839 Dr. Elinor Breman: those habitats where we can put things back. So the 239 00:11:39,870 --> 00:11:44,340 Dr. Elinor Breman: plants that I brought along today, there's a cylindrophyllum hallii. 240 00:11:44,429 --> 00:11:47,370 Cate Blanchett: Fingers, this one looks like a lot of little green squishy fingers. 241 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:51,059 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yeah, it's kind of a succulent starbursts really coming out 242 00:11:51,270 --> 00:11:55,290 Dr. Elinor Breman: in different places. And a pachydermic, this is from Madagascar, and 243 00:11:55,290 --> 00:12:00,809 Dr. Elinor Breman: actually they're quite ornamental plants. They're really beautiful. And unfortunately 244 00:12:00,809 --> 00:12:05,220 Dr. Elinor Breman: they're being collected from the world and so becoming endangered. But 245 00:12:05,220 --> 00:12:08,429 Dr. Elinor Breman: our partners, both SANBI in South Africa and SNGF in 246 00:12:08,429 --> 00:12:11,309 Dr. Elinor Breman: Madagascar are doing a really great job of, they're creating 247 00:12:11,309 --> 00:12:13,770 Dr. Elinor Breman: a little arboretum with some that have been seized in 248 00:12:13,770 --> 00:12:18,150 Dr. Elinor Breman: Madagascar. And in South Africa, they're doing a really great 249 00:12:18,150 --> 00:12:21,330 Dr. Elinor Breman: job of trying to stop the illegal poaching and trade 250 00:12:21,330 --> 00:12:25,470 Dr. Elinor Breman: in succulent plants as well. So I just feel anything 251 00:12:25,470 --> 00:12:27,420 Dr. Elinor Breman: we can do to give nature a hand. 252 00:12:27,690 --> 00:12:29,579 King Charles: Absolutely. So do these get bigger? 253 00:12:29,970 --> 00:12:32,189 Dr. Elinor Breman: They're going to get much bigger, yes. That one's going 254 00:12:32,190 --> 00:12:34,260 Dr. Elinor Breman: to not go too much bigger because of the pot 255 00:12:34,260 --> 00:12:35,309 Dr. Elinor Breman: size it's in at the minute. 256 00:12:35,309 --> 00:12:35,310 King Charles: Yes. 257 00:12:35,311 --> 00:12:37,620 Dr. Elinor Breman: Because the glass house is only so large. 258 00:12:38,370 --> 00:12:38,460 King Charles: But it could get more. 259 00:12:38,580 --> 00:12:40,410 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yeah, they can get a lot bigger. Yes. 260 00:12:40,530 --> 00:12:42,511 King Charles: And is it growing literally in virtually nothing, is it? 261 00:12:42,511 --> 00:12:47,040 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yeah. It's a very nutrient poor medium, yeah. And we 262 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:51,090 Dr. Elinor Breman: have two collections in the bank of this species and 263 00:12:51,090 --> 00:12:53,700 Dr. Elinor Breman: a lot more of the cylindrophyllum. That was down to only 264 00:12:53,700 --> 00:12:55,650 Dr. Elinor Breman: six individuals in the wild. 265 00:12:56,010 --> 00:12:56,790 King Charles: But this one? 266 00:12:57,030 --> 00:12:57,150 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yes. 267 00:12:57,569 --> 00:12:59,641 King Charles: These ones, do you treat them the same way? Are they better being dried or frozen or what? 268 00:12:59,641 --> 00:13:06,270 Dr. Elinor Breman: So the seeds are being treated in the same way. So 269 00:13:06,270 --> 00:13:09,839 Dr. Elinor Breman: in our Seed Bank, 85% of plants produce seeds that 270 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:13,950 Dr. Elinor Breman: we call orthodox. So they can withstand drying to 15% 271 00:13:13,950 --> 00:13:16,470 Dr. Elinor Breman: relative humidity, a bit like a long haul flight, I 272 00:13:16,470 --> 00:13:18,000 Dr. Elinor Breman: always say. And then... 273 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:19,469 Cate Blanchett: That was a bad thinking about. 274 00:13:19,470 --> 00:13:19,650 King Charles: I don't know. I wouldn't know. 275 00:13:22,260 --> 00:13:25,110 Dr. Elinor Breman: You'd be preserving on the flight. Let's look at it 276 00:13:25,110 --> 00:13:28,830 Dr. Elinor Breman: that way. And then, in an airtight container at minus 277 00:13:28,830 --> 00:13:31,770 Dr. Elinor Breman: 20. So then that extends their natural lifespan for tens 278 00:13:31,770 --> 00:13:34,200 Dr. Elinor Breman: to hundreds of years, which is amazing. So it provides 279 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:37,590 Dr. Elinor Breman: an opportunity not just for today, but for future generations. 280 00:13:43,740 --> 00:13:45,060 King Charles: And are you increasing the number of collaborators around the world who are able to help with the collections? 281 00:13:45,750 --> 00:13:48,000 Dr. Elinor Breman: So I think that's been the real strength of the 282 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:51,750 Dr. Elinor Breman: Millennium Seed Bank is its global partnership. And over the 283 00:13:51,750 --> 00:13:54,780 Dr. Elinor Breman: last 20 years, we've worked with a hundred different countries 284 00:13:54,780 --> 00:13:58,559 Dr. Elinor Breman: and territories to help them conserve their native flora. And 285 00:13:58,980 --> 00:14:02,910 Dr. Elinor Breman: I think that's almost 300 partners, different institutes. And we 286 00:14:02,910 --> 00:14:06,569 Dr. Elinor Breman: have a large training and capacity building program because ideally 287 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:09,420 Dr. Elinor Breman: I'd almost love to put us out of business. I 288 00:14:09,929 --> 00:14:13,530 Dr. Elinor Breman: would like all of our partners to have the means 289 00:14:13,530 --> 00:14:15,570 Dr. Elinor Breman: and the wherewithal to be doing this on their own 290 00:14:15,570 --> 00:14:18,209 Dr. Elinor Breman: and conserving their own native flora without any need for 291 00:14:18,210 --> 00:14:21,780 Dr. Elinor Breman: our support. And then with our partners, all the seeds 292 00:14:21,780 --> 00:14:24,240 Dr. Elinor Breman: are stored in the country of origin and a part 293 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:27,990 Dr. Elinor Breman: of it is sent to us to safety duplication. Yeah. 294 00:14:28,620 --> 00:14:30,810 Dr. Elinor Breman: You always need that extra insurance policy. 295 00:14:31,020 --> 00:14:33,990 Cate Blanchett: But there is an urgency to the work that the Seed Bank 296 00:14:33,990 --> 00:14:38,640 Cate Blanchett: does here in this country. I was shocked to learn 297 00:14:38,700 --> 00:14:44,340 Cate Blanchett: that 97% of the wildflower meadows have been decimated. I 298 00:14:44,340 --> 00:14:47,280 Cate Blanchett: don't think it's something that we quite understand here. 299 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:47,340 Dr. Elinor Breman: No. 300 00:14:47,370 --> 00:14:49,890 Cate Blanchett: Because we look around us and in the immediate term 301 00:14:49,890 --> 00:14:53,250 Cate Blanchett: we see so much natural beauty, but we don't think 302 00:14:53,250 --> 00:14:54,991 Cate Blanchett: about how fragile it is. 303 00:14:54,991 --> 00:14:58,830 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yeah. And the fact that unfortunately, the UK is already biodiversity- 304 00:14:58,860 --> 00:15:02,430 Dr. Elinor Breman: depauperate from the starting point as well. So we've got 305 00:15:02,430 --> 00:15:04,500 Dr. Elinor Breman: a lot of diversity to put back into our own 306 00:15:04,500 --> 00:15:08,190 Dr. Elinor Breman: landscapes, and we're doing a lot of restoration work across 307 00:15:08,190 --> 00:15:11,850 Dr. Elinor Breman: the chalk grassland and also working with partners all across 308 00:15:11,850 --> 00:15:14,160 Dr. Elinor Breman: the Four Nations. I think we've done about a hundred 309 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:18,570 Dr. Elinor Breman: different restoration projects over the years, which is fantastic; seeing 310 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:21,330 Dr. Elinor Breman: the seeds leaving the bank and going to their rightful homes. 311 00:15:22,140 --> 00:15:25,050 King Charles: Well, I did manage to get an initiative going called 312 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:29,251 King Charles: the Coronation Meadows to celebrate my late mama's anniversary of her coronation. But I thought it was a good excuse- 313 00:15:29,251 --> 00:15:29,252 Cate Blanchett: To highlight that. 314 00:15:29,252 --> 00:15:40,710 King Charles: Because I knew about that real damage has been done to all our flower- 315 00:15:40,710 --> 00:15:43,350 King Charles: rich meadows since the war, really. 316 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:45,300 Cate Blanchett: Really in that short a space of time. 317 00:15:45,300 --> 00:15:49,620 King Charles: Absolutely incredible, because what you can destroy in one day 318 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:53,340 King Charles: by just plowing it up takes practically a hundred years 319 00:15:53,340 --> 00:15:59,910 King Charles: to replace. And it requires constant management, the same management 320 00:15:59,910 --> 00:16:03,810 King Charles: to create this remarkable diversity. And I've seen it in 321 00:16:03,810 --> 00:16:07,530 King Charles: Transylvania, it's even more unbelievable. 322 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:08,850 Dr. Elinor Breman: Oh, a spectacular. 323 00:16:08,850 --> 00:16:11,640 King Charles: I'm trying to rescue some of those meadows before they 324 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:14,460 King Charles: get destroyed because they're unique. 325 00:16:14,670 --> 00:16:17,670 Cate Blanchett: And what's the difference between them, forgive my ignorance, the 326 00:16:17,670 --> 00:16:18,750 Cate Blanchett: meadows there and here? 327 00:16:19,020 --> 00:16:21,150 King Charles: Well. there's a lot of similarity to what we would've 328 00:16:21,150 --> 00:16:23,700 King Charles: had in the medieval times. 329 00:16:24,570 --> 00:16:24,990 Cate Blanchett: I see. 330 00:16:24,990 --> 00:16:28,680 King Charles: I think. There was a terrific arrangement amongst the local 331 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:31,979 King Charles: communities as to how they managed it all and shared 332 00:16:31,980 --> 00:16:35,281 King Charles: the effort. And so on the same, the management of the forests. 333 00:16:35,281 --> 00:16:37,590 Cate Blanchett: Right. So they didn't have big large- scale industrial farming. 334 00:16:37,590 --> 00:16:37,650 King Charles: No, no, no. 335 00:16:37,650 --> 00:16:39,060 Cate Blanchett: So that meant that they could preserve them. Right. 336 00:16:39,690 --> 00:16:42,390 King Charles: And it somehow went on and on and on, same way. 337 00:16:43,140 --> 00:16:46,860 King Charles: And that's what's enabled many of these meadows to have 338 00:16:46,860 --> 00:16:51,810 King Charles: something like 17 or 18 or something different species of orchid. 339 00:16:52,860 --> 00:16:56,790 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yeah. And it's stunning, the diversity there. We worked with partners 340 00:16:56,820 --> 00:17:00,390 Dr. Elinor Breman: in Romania to help conserve the diversity and across the 341 00:17:00,390 --> 00:17:03,480 Dr. Elinor Breman: whole mountain chain as well, because there's so much unique 342 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:05,428 Dr. Elinor Breman: diversity there. It's absolutely stunning. 343 00:17:06,179 --> 00:17:08,220 King Charles: No, I think it's wonderful what the Seed Bank is doing, but we've got to speed up the process. 344 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:12,450 Dr. Elinor Breman: We need to ramp it up. 345 00:17:13,410 --> 00:17:13,680 Cate Blanchett: Yeah. 346 00:17:14,369 --> 00:17:17,609 Dr. Elinor Breman: The idea moving forward is to take advantage of a 347 00:17:17,609 --> 00:17:19,619 Dr. Elinor Breman: lot of the technologies that have come in over the 348 00:17:19,619 --> 00:17:23,850 Dr. Elinor Breman: last 25 years. We really need to upscale and improve, 349 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:28,619 Dr. Elinor Breman: make use of high- throughput screening for genetics, for traits, 350 00:17:28,650 --> 00:17:33,060 Dr. Elinor Breman: for image- taking. There's so much information held within each seed- 351 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:33,119 King Charles: Yes, isn't there. 352 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:36,690 Dr. Elinor Breman: ... that we need to access much, much more quickly. 353 00:17:36,750 --> 00:17:39,869 Dr. Elinor Breman: And also, we need to scale up our conservation efforts 354 00:17:39,869 --> 00:17:44,310 Dr. Elinor Breman: unfortunately, because 45% of plant species are now threatened with 355 00:17:44,310 --> 00:17:49,169 Dr. Elinor Breman: extinction, so almost half of the plants around us, which 356 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:53,790 Dr. Elinor Breman: unimaginable. And I do think there's an education piece in 357 00:17:53,790 --> 00:17:57,540 Dr. Elinor Breman: that people take plants for granted still despite your years 358 00:17:57,540 --> 00:18:01,800 Dr. Elinor Breman: of work and others'; they don't understand their relevance to 359 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:04,020 Dr. Elinor Breman: the life, to the fact that literally the air we 360 00:18:04,020 --> 00:18:06,240 Dr. Elinor Breman: breathe would not be here without the plants. 361 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:10,020 Cate Blanchett: And also I suppose to enable your partners to build 362 00:18:10,050 --> 00:18:13,470 Cate Blanchett: not necessarily facilities that will survive an airplane crash or 363 00:18:13,770 --> 00:18:16,230 Cate Blanchett: a nuclear disaster as the Seed Bank will, but to have 364 00:18:16,230 --> 00:18:17,070 Cate Blanchett: the capacity. 365 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:20,460 Dr. Elinor Breman: Exactly. Anybody can do seed banking. And we have a 366 00:18:20,460 --> 00:18:24,270 Dr. Elinor Breman: lot of partners who don't have regular electricity supply, but 367 00:18:24,270 --> 00:18:28,109 Dr. Elinor Breman: they can still bank seeds to international standards and conserve 368 00:18:28,109 --> 00:18:30,959 Dr. Elinor Breman: their flora and all of that hope and possibility for 369 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:31,649 Dr. Elinor Breman: their future. 370 00:18:31,859 --> 00:18:32,159 Cate Blanchett: Yeah. 371 00:18:32,910 --> 00:18:35,218 King Charles: But you would think that we try to encourage the 372 00:18:35,369 --> 00:18:38,580 King Charles: pharmaceutical sector to see that actually it's surely in their 373 00:18:38,580 --> 00:18:43,770 King Charles: interest to invest in the protection and enhancement and restoration 374 00:18:43,890 --> 00:18:48,090 King Charles: of this biodiversity from which so many actually of the 375 00:18:48,630 --> 00:18:52,109 King Charles: treatments we are looking for have already come from. 376 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:53,490 Dr. Elinor Breman: Exactly. 377 00:18:53,700 --> 00:18:56,520 King Charles: So it's surely in their interest to do that. But one 378 00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:58,949 King Charles: of the greatest things I've discovered is there's only at the 379 00:18:58,950 --> 00:19:03,150 King Charles: moment the carbon credits market, which is not as good 380 00:19:03,150 --> 00:19:06,750 King Charles: as it could be. There's no biodiversity credits set up. 381 00:19:06,750 --> 00:19:10,560 King Charles: So this is being tried to be established now, because 382 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:14,431 King Charles: that would revolutionize the opportunities for investment in the restoration of biodiversity. 383 00:19:14,431 --> 00:19:19,560 Dr. Elinor Breman: Definitely. Kew is involved in a lot of those conversations 384 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:24,900 Dr. Elinor Breman: as well around biodiversity credits and how we can ensure 385 00:19:24,900 --> 00:19:27,510 Dr. Elinor Breman: that all of these large schemes under the current global 386 00:19:27,510 --> 00:19:33,300 Dr. Elinor Breman: biodiversity framework to restore and maintain natural habitats don't do 387 00:19:33,300 --> 00:19:38,070 Dr. Elinor Breman: any harm and actually enhance biodiversity rather than harming it 388 00:19:38,070 --> 00:19:40,560 Dr. Elinor Breman: in tree planting schemes or others. So we need to 389 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:41,250 Dr. Elinor Breman: monitor that. 390 00:19:41,430 --> 00:19:42,959 King Charles: So the only way to do that is to make 391 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:45,450 King Charles: sure we have ecosystem services payments. 392 00:19:45,510 --> 00:19:46,140 Dr. Elinor Breman: Exactly. 393 00:19:46,230 --> 00:19:46,800 King Charles: So you make the- 394 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:48,210 Dr. Elinor Breman: It needs to be valuable. 395 00:19:48,210 --> 00:19:50,129 King Charles: You make the trees more valuable alive than dead. 396 00:19:50,130 --> 00:19:50,281 Dr. Elinor Breman: Dead. Yes. 397 00:19:50,281 --> 00:19:50,580 King Charles: As timber. 398 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:51,689 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yes. 399 00:19:51,750 --> 00:19:56,490 King Charles: If they're particular species of it. That's why, again, I feel that agroforestry is such an 400 00:19:56,640 --> 00:20:02,190 King Charles: important and underutilized forgotten technique, which could make a dramatic 401 00:20:02,190 --> 00:20:06,240 King Charles: difference in restoring degraded land rapidly. 402 00:20:06,570 --> 00:20:09,030 Dr. Elinor Breman: We've seen that with some partners of ours in Mexico, 403 00:20:09,030 --> 00:20:11,939 Dr. Elinor Breman: and the Veracruz state with the coffee plantations. It was 404 00:20:11,940 --> 00:20:13,740 Dr. Elinor Breman: all kind of open and it used to be cloud 405 00:20:13,740 --> 00:20:16,050 Dr. Elinor Breman: forest. And cloud forest, I think it's only less than 406 00:20:16,050 --> 00:20:17,040 Dr. Elinor Breman: 1% of Mexico. 407 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:17,760 King Charles: What's cloud forest? 408 00:20:17,910 --> 00:20:21,060 Dr. Elinor Breman: It's forest which is at kind of high elevation usually. 409 00:20:21,060 --> 00:20:21,149 King Charles: Right. 410 00:20:21,180 --> 00:20:24,240 Dr. Elinor Breman: And then, it draws in its moisture from the cloud 411 00:20:24,270 --> 00:20:27,750 Dr. Elinor Breman: rather than from rain. It's quite a remarkable system. But 412 00:20:27,869 --> 00:20:31,830 Dr. Elinor Breman: we found some native species with working with local communities 413 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:33,570 Dr. Elinor Breman: that they want to propagate. 414 00:20:34,650 --> 00:20:34,651 King Charles: That's right. 415 00:20:34,651 --> 00:20:35,911 Dr. Elinor Breman: And they're using those as a shade over the coffee now. 416 00:20:35,911 --> 00:20:36,211 King Charles: That's right. 417 00:20:36,630 --> 00:20:40,139 Dr. Elinor Breman: And set up community nurseries. They get an income from 418 00:20:40,140 --> 00:20:43,290 Dr. Elinor Breman: the nursery. They're growing the species that they are going 419 00:20:43,290 --> 00:20:45,961 Dr. Elinor Breman: to have a use from, and it's producing better coffee. 420 00:20:45,961 --> 00:20:45,962 King Charles: Right. 421 00:20:45,962 --> 00:20:48,869 Dr. Elinor Breman: So you need to find those win- win- wins, don't you? And then it all happens. 422 00:20:48,869 --> 00:20:58,470 King Charles: But agro organisations are doing exactly that in Ethiopia. And they can now demonstrate that within five years 423 00:20:58,470 --> 00:21:02,700 King Charles: you can transform a degraded landscape into something that looks like a forest. 424 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:10,859 King Charles: And instantly the biodiversity increases: the insects, the birds, the bees. Everything starts to come back. 425 00:21:10,859 --> 00:21:15,000 Cate Blanchett: Yeah. The only frustration for me about inaction on climate 426 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:19,919 Cate Blanchett: change is that there's so many extraordinary initiatives right there ready to 427 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,649 Cate Blanchett: be scaled up. There's a willingness there, but there's just, 428 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:24,750 Cate Blanchett: there's not the direction of the funds. 429 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:32,609 King Charles: And there's that lack of awareness too, as you were saying about the actual detail of all these things. 430 00:21:32,609 --> 00:21:32,610 Dr. Elinor Breman: I know. 431 00:21:32,610 --> 00:21:32,671 King Charles: Let alone the role of pollinating insects. 432 00:21:34,830 --> 00:21:36,930 Dr. Elinor Breman: I know we're always told to not have too complex 433 00:21:36,930 --> 00:21:41,520 Dr. Elinor Breman: a message, but nature is complex. Ecosystems are very complex, 434 00:21:41,910 --> 00:21:44,190 Dr. Elinor Breman: and every part needs to be there for it to 435 00:21:44,190 --> 00:21:45,630 Dr. Elinor Breman: work. Yeah. 436 00:21:45,630 --> 00:21:48,691 King Charles: Because everything's interconnected. Wonderful. Thank you very much. 437 00:21:48,691 --> 00:21:50,010 Cate Blanchett: Thank you so much for making the time. 438 00:21:50,010 --> 00:21:50,550 King Charles: Not at all. 439 00:21:50,580 --> 00:21:50,879 Dr. Elinor Breman: Yeah. 440 00:21:51,390 --> 00:21:51,391 Cate Blanchett: With us. 441 00:21:51,391 --> 00:21:51,392 King Charles: Well, I hope it helps. 442 00:21:51,392 --> 00:21:51,393 Dr. Elinor Breman: It does. 443 00:21:51,393 --> 00:21:51,513 King Charles: It's so wonderful that you're doing so much to help. 444 00:21:53,940 --> 00:21:55,170 Dr. Elinor Breman: It helps enormously. 445 00:21:55,230 --> 00:21:58,439 Cate Blanchett: But your example and your activity in this space have 446 00:21:58,440 --> 00:21:59,850 Cate Blanchett: been, they're legendary. 447 00:21:59,850 --> 00:22:00,270 Dr. Elinor Breman: World- leading. 448 00:22:00,270 --> 00:22:00,720 Cate Blanchett: So thank you. 449 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:03,720 King Charles: You're kind to say so. I'm not sure how much it's achieved anyway. 450 00:22:04,380 --> 00:22:04,980 Dr. Elinor Breman: An awful lot. 451 00:22:05,580 --> 00:22:07,771 King Charles: We hope. Well, I'm very proud to be patron of Kew. That's a great thing. 452 00:22:07,771 --> 00:22:10,859 Dr. Elinor Breman: Well, thank you so much. 453 00:22:10,859 --> 00:22:11,939 King Charles: It does wonderful work. 454 00:22:15,420 --> 00:22:18,510 Cate Blanchett: That was His Majesty The King, a proud patron of 455 00:22:18,510 --> 00:22:21,450 Cate Blanchett: Kew and a remarkable voice with which to start this 456 00:22:21,450 --> 00:22:25,139 Cate Blanchett: story of the Millennium Seed Bank. And this is just 457 00:22:25,140 --> 00:22:28,619 Cate Blanchett: the beginning. From the grasslands of Southern England to the 458 00:22:28,619 --> 00:22:32,640 Cate Blanchett: humid landscapes of Thailand, the forests of Southern Australia and 459 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:36,690 Cate Blanchett: even into outer space, in this series we will travel 460 00:22:36,690 --> 00:22:41,609 Cate Blanchett: far and wide. From visionary scientists to intrepid seed collectors, 461 00:22:41,790 --> 00:22:45,900 Cate Blanchett: we'll meet the extraordinary people safeguarding our planet as we 462 00:22:45,900 --> 00:22:50,010 Cate Blanchett: explore the past, the present, and the vital future of 463 00:22:50,010 --> 00:22:54,570 Cate Blanchett: the Millennium Seed Bank. I'm Cate Blanchett, and this is 464 00:22:54,570 --> 00:22:59,820 Cate Blanchett: Unearthed: The need for seeds. Follow us wherever you get 465 00:22:59,820 --> 00:23:03,330 Cate Blanchett: your podcasts so you won't miss a moment. Until next 466 00:23:03,330 --> 00:23:04,740 Cate Blanchett: time, thanks for listening.