10 young people embark on once in a lifetime trip to the Galapagos in expedition led by Kew Champions Dwayne Fields and Phoebe Smith, meeting first at Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex
Ten young people aged 16-19 from across Britain are on a once in a lifetime expedition to the Galapagos. It is part of an initiative led by two Champions of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Dwayne Fields and Phoebe Smith, to inspire a love of nature in the next generation and offer unique opportunities to open access to adventure.
Just before their departure last week, the group met for the first time at Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex. This is also home to the Millennium Seed Bank, a global conservation resource containing 2.5 billion wild plant seeds representing 40,000 species.
The group of young people from Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Powys, the West Midlands, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, North London, Streatham and East Sussex are the 2024 cohort chosen by Dwayne and Phoebe’s #WeTwo Foundation. They slept outdoors at Wakehurst before leaving for London on Tuesday, 22 October, bound for the Galapagos.
The #WeTwo Foundation is a charity, founded by adventurers Phoebe Smith and Dwayne Fields, working with underprivileged young people from across Britain helping them improve their communities, confidence and job prospects by taking them on life-changing expeditions. In 2022 they took a group to Antarctica to follow in Shackleton’s footsteps, after which most of the young people used the skills and experiences they gained on the trip to help them secure jobs or enter further education.
Ciara O’Sullivan, Head of Communications and Engagement at RBG Kew, said:
“Being a Kew Champion is about using your platform to inspire others to value plants and fungi as much as we do and ultimately to protect nature. We are proud to support Phoebe and Dwayne as they try to inspire a new generation to love and respect the outdoors through this amazing once in a lifetime adventure. We are particularly pleased that we worked out a way for them to spend the night outdoors, gazing out over the beautiful Sussex Weald at Wakehurst, learning about the work we do there and in the Millennium Seed Bank. If that doesn’t set the scene for their trip, I don’t know what will.”
After their night under the stars at Wakehurst, the 2024 expedition team planted 300 wildflower seeds in one of Wakehurst’s meadows to help encourage native species to grow and improve biodiversity. They then started their journey, following in Charles Darwin’s footsteps, nearly 200 years after he left Plymouth on the Beagle and visited the Galapagos Islands.
“The Antarctica expedition and mentorship programme proved that by giving opportunities to those young people who need it most has made a huge difference, not only to them but also their communities,” says Phoebe and Dwayne, RBG Kew Champions. “For us, expeditions are not about planting flags, but planting seeds – in so many ways. And Kew and Wakehurst’s values and incredible work aligns perfectly with the aims of our charity.”
Photo credit: #WeTwo Foundation
