BALI South Thames Millennium Seed Bank Tour

BALI's South Thames regional committee invited its members to the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst Place in Haywards Heath, Sussex for an exclusive tour of the facilities.

Keith Manger (below), the Millennium Seed Bank buildings Manager, provided us with a fascinating insight into their highly ambitious project that will see them conserve 25% of the world’s plant species by 2020.

Three glass sections within the building house laboratories, seed-preparation facilities and a public exhibition area. The image below shows one of the propagation laboratories where the seeds are taken after they leave the vault.

Located under the laboratories is a vast storage vault. The photo below illustrates the main structure and the individual pods within it; which house further laboratories and refrigeration rooms. It is here that the seeds are stored in optimum conditions for their survival.

By securely storing and conserving the world's seeds, the Millennium Seed Bank will provide an insurance policy against the extinction of these plants in the wild.

More information on the Millennium Seed Bank.