On Oct. 20, 2025, the Millennium Seed Bank at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, located deep underground beneath the Sussex countryside in southern England, celebrated its 25th anniversary. Within the Seed Bank, millions of seeds are kept frozen in a vault built to withstand fire, flooding, and any other disaster.

The Seed Bank holds more than 2.5 billion wild plant seeds from around 40,000 species. The seeds are stored in sealed glass jars and foil packets, and are preserved in temperatures of minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit) to guard against extinction.

Researchers describe it as one of the most biodiverse places on Earth — a secure archive of the world’s flora intended to protect its contents for centuries.

Since it opened in 2000, the Millennium Seed Bank has grown into a global partnership with 279 organisations in more than 100 countries. Its collections have supported projects to reintroduce native species and restore damaged habitats in the United Kingdom and abroad.

Kew has also trained more than 3,000 scientists from 70 countries in seed collection and storage, helping partners build their own conservation capacity. To expand its work, Kew has launched a 30 million pound ($40 million) Seeds Future Fund to support new research and partnerships around the world.