Wakehurst joins forces with National Geographic Kids magazine for three-year collaboration

Nature Heroes: Seed Seeker: Saturday 19 October – Sunday 3 November 2024
Tickets are on sale now at www.kew.org/wakehurst
Pre-booking essential
Wakehurst, Sussex

New Nature Heroes x Nat Geo Kids activities launching at Wakehurst
This October half-term, children can gain their new Seed Seeker badge
Children aged 16 and under go free year-round
Marks the start of celebrations for the Millennium Seed Bank’s 25^th anniversary

Wakehurst, Kew's wild botanic garden in Sussex, has announced an exciting new collaboration with National Geographic Kids magazine, spanning the next three years. Families can enjoy affordable and unforgettable days out, with interactive trails that bring the pages of Nat Geo Kids magazine to life, engaging young minds and fostering a passion for the natural world. Wakehurst hopes that this collaboration will bring in new explorers and existing fans of Nat Geo Kids to the gardens, through a long-term family programme, supplemented by webinars and competitions.

This October, children can play the role of a seed scientist on their Nature Heroes: Seed Seeker adventure, as they follow the seed banking process from start to finish. This forms the ninth mission in the Nature Heroes programme, a much-loved activity in many families’ holiday calendars. Against the backdrop of the iconic Millennium Seed Bank, a two-metre-high walkie-talkie marks the beginning of their mission to successfully bank a mystery seed. A winding trail of sensory activities such as a cypher wheel, ‘feely boxes’, periscopes and ‘Weird but True’ trivia, will bring global seed research to life in an accessible way, for the local community.

Graduating with their first Nature Heroes Academy badge, young adventurers will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to inspire them to become the next generation of conservationists or seed scientists, ready to come back for their next adventure. This collaboration also kicks off a year of celebrations at Wakehurst, as 2025 marks the Millennium Seed Bank’s 25th anniversary. For a quarter of a century, the world’s largest store of wild plant seeds has banked, studied, and safeguarded over 2.4 billion seeds from over 40,000 different species. Through programmes such as Nature Heroes x Nat Geo Kids, families are invited to return to Wakehurst to experience and celebrate the invaluable work of the Millennium Seed Bank, becoming passionate stewards of our planet's precious plant biodiversity.

Eva Owen, Programmes Manager at Wakehurst, commented:

"Wakehurst is delighted to collaborate with National Geographic Kids magazine to bring the wonder of the natural world to life for young minds. As children partake in each Nature Heroes x Nat Geo Kids activity, they’ll learn more about the crucial role that seeds, plants and fungi play in our lives. We hope that this three-year programme will inspire young nature lovers as they explore our beautiful and diverse landscapes and discover how the gardens are a living laboratory for science with a global impact."

Louise Ioannou, Marketing Director at National Geographic Kids magazine, added:

“National Geographic Kids magazine is thrilled to launch our three-year collaboration in the stunning grounds of Wakehurst this autumn. Not only does the fun and educational nature trail bring our much-loved children’s title to life, the Seed Seeker adventure is also designed to inspire a passion for nature and spark curiosity in young explorers - core values of both Nat Geo Kids and the Nature Heroes programme.”

ENDS

For more information, please contact Jessica Hayne at j.hayne@kew.org or wakehurstpr@kew.org
Download images here

NOTES TO EDITORS

Image credits from left to right:

Wakehurst’s Nature Heroes Jim Holden © RBG Kew / Wakehurst Nature Heroes © RBG Kew / Wakehurst’s Nature Heroes, Jim Holden © RBG Kew

Garden entry: Adult: £16.50, Members: Free, Young person (17-25 years): £8.25, Children (0-16 years): Free

Nature Heroes: Seed Seeker

19 October – 3 November
10.00 - 16:30
Badge mission: £3 https://www.kew.org/wakehurst/whats-on/nature-heroes-ngk

About Wakehurst

The National Trust was bequeathed the Mansion and grounds of Wakehurst in 1963. Whilst Wakehurst is not a National Trust property, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has a longstanding relationship with the National Trust dating back to 1965 when Kew took over the running of Wakehurst’s 535 acres of botanical landscapes and Elizabethan Mansion.

Wakehurst is Kew’s wild botanic garden in the Sussex High Weald National Landscape. Its ancient and beautiful landscapes span 535 acres and are a place for escape, exploration, tranquility, and wonder. Its diverse collection of plants from Britain and around the globe thrive within a tapestry of innovative gardens, temperate woodlands, meadows, and wetlands. Wakehurst is a centre for UK biodiversity and global conservation, seed research and ecosystem science. At its heart is Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, the world’s largest store of seeds from wild plant species.   

RBG Kew receives approximately one third of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needed to support RBG Kew’s vital work comes from donors, membership and commercial activity including ticket sales. In the first six months since implementing a new accessibility scheme for those in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Legacy Benefits, Kew has welcomed over 100,000 visitors with £1 tickets.

At the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, we’re dedicated to harnessing the power of plants and fungi to end the extinction crisis and secure a future for all life on Earth. With our world-leading research, global partnerships and beloved gardens – home to the world’s most diverse collections of plants and fungi – we’re using our trusted voice to shape policy and practice worldwide. As a charity we rely on the critical support of our visitors, not only to sustain the gardens, but to protect global plant and fungal biodiversity for the benefit of our planet and humanity.

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About National Geographic Kids magazine

National Geographic Kids and Little Kids magazines are popular educational titles for nature-loving children aged 3-12. Each issue features engaging activities, stunning photography, and captivating content designed to ignite curiosity and spark conversations about history, science, and the natural world. National Geographic Kids is aligned with the National Curriculum, while National Geographic Little Kids is tracked against the Development Matters framework, ensuring strong educational value.

A recent readership survey showed that 95% of parents consider conservation important to their family, and 97% believe National Geographic Kids supports their child's learning*.

Published by Creature & Co., a certified B Corp, these high-quality, plastic-free magazines are available in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. National Geographic Kids is recommended for 7–12-year-olds, and National Geographic Little Kids is designed for pre-schoolers aged 3–6. Both titles are part of a trusted brand leading sustainability in the magazine sector. Every sale supports the work of National Geographic scientists, explorers, and educators worldwide.

*Based on a survey of over 1,000 subscribers.

To sign up for a subscription to National Geographic Kids or National Geographic Little Kids Magazine, please follow the link: https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/magazine-subscription/