U.K. wild seed bank hits 10 percent target
More than 50 countries have donated to effort to preserve biodiversity
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A laboratory technician at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank prepares to place its 24,200th species of seed 'Musa Itinerans' (common name Yunnan Banana, or wild forest Banana) into a cool storage facility in Ardingley, in south-east England, on Oct. 15, 2009. The banana from China, musa itinerans, is an important staple for wild elephants and is also useful for breeding new types of the fruit, but is under threat as its jungle habitat is cleared for commercial agriculture. (Glyn Kirk / AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation -
Anne Cochrane, a laboratory technician at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, adds seeds to the Temperature Gradient Table in Ardingley, England, on Oct. 15, 2009. Botanists at Britain's Kew Gardens said Thursday they have collected seeds from 10 percent of the world's wild plants, their first goal in a project to protect all endangered plant species. (Glyn Kirk / AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation -
Catalogued seeds are stored at minus 20 degrees Celsius in Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, at Wakehurst Place on Oct. 15, 2009, near Haywards Heath, England. The seed bank is the largest wild seed bank in the world and holds 3.5 billion seeds from around the world in its vaults, which are kept at minus 20 degrees Celsius, to preserve them for hundreds of years. (Oli Scarff / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation -
Seeds lie in petri dishes waiting to be processed in Kew's Millennium Seed Bank in Ardingley, England, on Oct. 15, 2009. Botanists at Britain's Kew Gardens said Thursday they have collected seeds from 10 percent of the world's wild plants, their first goal in a project to protect all endangered plant species. (Glyn Kirk / AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
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Jo Walmisley, a higher botanical horticulturist, examines a Orbea plant in the cool, frost-free glasshouse at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, which now holds 10 percent of the world's wild plant species, at Wakehurst Place on Oct. 15, 2009, near Haywards Heath, England. There are already many other seed banks safeguarding food crops, which only account for 0.6 percent of plant diversity. (Oli Scarff / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
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Patricia Wood, a curation assistant, cleans seeds prior to storage at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst Place on Oct. 15, 2009, near Haywards Heath, England. (Oli Scarff / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
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Anne Cochrane, a senior research scientist, examines her germinating seeds in petri-dishes in the germination area of Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, which now holds 10 percent of the world's wild plant species, at Wakehurst Place on Oct. 15, 2009, near Haywards Heath, England. (Oli Scarff / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
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Keith Manger holds a jar of approximately one million of the smallest seeds next to the largest seed at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, which now holds 10 percent of the world's wild plant species, at Wakehurst Place on Oct. 15, 2009, near Haywards Heath, England. The 24,200th seed species is a pink, wild banana from China which is an important staple for wild Asian elephants. (Oli Scarff / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
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Trevor Denham examines germinating seeds in petri-dishes in the germination area of Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, which now holds 10 percent of the world's wild plant species, at Wakehurst Place on Oct. 15, 2009, near Haywards Heath, England. (Oli Scarff / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
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An employee at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank leaves the vault where 10 percent of the world'd wild seeds are stored at -20 degrees Celsius, which now holds 10 percent of the world's wild plant species, at Wakehurst Place on Oct. 15, 2009, near Haywards Heath, England. (Oli Scarff / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
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This is a general view of Kew's Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst Place on Oct. 15, 2009, near Haywards Heath, England. Because most of the world's food and medicines come from nature, protecting wild plant species is critical, scientists say. (Oli Scarff / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
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