Free activities, trails and tours included with garden entry
Members and children under 16 go free
- Launch of Trees for Bees citizen science trail, now in its third year
- Interactive exhibitions and tours tell the story of Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank
- Adventure through global landscapes shaped by science
- Celebrates Wakehurst’s year of nature connection
British Science Week takes place from 6 to 15 March and aims to celebrate the wonder of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) by championing pioneering projects taking place across the UK and showcasing diverse career opportunities. At Wakehurst, science is woven into the landscape of Kew’s wild botanic garden, contributing to planting design and transforming the gardens into a living laboratory. Whether that’s the work of seed scientists at Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, horticultural innovation in the Nursery or the innovative research projects through Nature Unlocked, science and nature-based solutions are grown at Wakehurst.
The theme of this year’s British Science Week is ‘Curiosity: What’s your question?’ and aims to inspire a sense of wonder, inviting curious minds to seek out answers to the challenges and wonders of everyday life. Throughout the week, Wakehurst invites visitors from all walks of life to connect with science in a way that works for them – through tours, interactive exhibits and outdoor adventures included with garden entry.
Contribute to pollination science
Trees for Bees trail – daily
Wakehurst is carrying out unique research into which trees our pollinators like best and how we can make our cities more pollinator friendly. As the gardens have become a living laboratory for this ground-breaking research, visitors are invited to contribute through the Trees for Bees study. Using a simple guide and app, grown-ups and children alike can count the pollinators they see on selected trees, with all data going straight to scientists. For those who may face barriers to visiting, Engagement Days are running from March to September, offering support in using the app, with an introduction from the scientists behind the trail.
Eliana Van Der Schraft, Citizen Science Research Lead commented: “Our Trees for Bees trail brings science to the forefront of the visitors’ experience, as an accessible way for everyone to contribute directly to scientific research. We’re so excited to bring it back for a third year and have really built on the study, adding 14 new trees this year, including our beautiful Chinese Osmanthus and Japanese Whitebeam to expand the research. As these trees flower longer and later, we can dig deeper into what our pollinators are foraging later in the season. We’re so grateful for everyone who has taken the time to count pollinators so far, with each small piece of data resulting in a huge impact for the future of our landscapes and wildlife.”
Discover the origins of the Millennium Seed Bank
Mansion Chapel exhibition, open daily
Open daily, Wakehurst’s Elizabethan Mansion is now home to an inspiring exhibition space, telling the story of the Millennium Seed Bank’s humble origins. Visitors can set foot in the Chapel, home to the original seed bank freezers, and discover the stories of the people who have helped shape the world’s largest store of wild seeds.
Become a seed scientist
Bank a Seed interactive exhibit, open daily
Children can discover the seed banking process, from weighing to cleaning and x-raying, with the interactive Bank a Seed exhibit in the Millennium Seed Bank Atrium. Giving the next generation of scientists an insight into the world of seed conservation, the hands-on activities promise to spark curiosity.
Step inside the most biodiverse place on earth
Millennium Seed Bank Atrium tours, Mondays 2pm
Every Monday, join knowledgeable volunteer guides on a journey through the Millennium Seed Bank’s Atrium, tracing the path of a seed from its arrival to storage in the sub-zero vaults beneath your feet. Free with garden entry, these tours offer a window into the working laboratories and give visitors the chance to hear stories from our global partnerships, with a fascinating look into the hidden world of seed science.
Break down barriers to visiting
Wakehurst’s Community and Access Programmes aim to break down the sensory, physical, financial and social barriers that can prevent people from accessing green space and engaging with science. At the heart of this work is the Community Access Scheme, which welcomes community groups and organisations supporting individuals facing these challenges, offering free entry to the gardens and priority access to dedicated community events and workshops. Activities taking place during British Science Week include the much-loved Crafting for Connection community arts club, creating a nature-based mandala artwork in Pearcelands Wood.
In further collaboration with others, Wakehurst will also be hosting the Mid Sussex Eco-Forum on 10 March, bringing together third-sector leaders and organisations working in conservation, wildlife regeneration and community action across the region. Hosted in the Millennium Seed Bank, the Forum is a space for members to share best practice, spark new collaborations and hear directly from Nature Unlocked scientists shaping research in this field.
Discover global landscapes in Sussex
As a botanic garden, Wakehurst is a place of education, research and conservation, and no two visits are the same. To walk around the Wakehurst landscape is to traverse the globe, with a tapestry of habitats planted with purpose. For a journey across the Atlantic, Horsebridge Wood is home to towering redwoods, whilst the American Prairie offers a taste of these diverse and threatened landscapes, of which only 1% remain. Areas evoking a sense of the southern hemisphere include Coates Wood, with fascinating Wollemi pines and eucalyptus, whilst the ornamental Walled Garden and British birches in Bethlehem Wood offer something closer to home. At each area, informative interpretation delves into the science behind each landscape, ensuring every visitor can learn something new when they walk the world at Wakehurst.
During the week, Wakehurst’s leading education programme will also be welcoming 10 school groups into the gardens, who will be connecting with science through activities such as plant dissection, seed dispersal and fieldwork sessions. As A level fieldwork season begins, there will be a unique opportunity for students to contribute to research, as data from schools’ biodiversity surveys onsite will be added to scientists’ data on the levels of biodiversity in Wakehurst’s woodland and meadows.
Julie Whelan, Learning Manager explains, “The core values of British Science Week underpin everything we do here at Wakehurst, with every tour, workshop and habitat offering new ways to connect with the natural world. By bringing scientific discovery together with the beauty of our botanic landscapes, we aim to inspire curiosity, deepen understanding, and champion the importance of protecting nature for everyone.”
This year, Wakehurst will be celebrating a year of connecting to nature, with programmes and events centred around creating engaging opportunities for visitors of all ages to feel inspired by nature and empowered to protect it. Behind the scenes, ground-breaking Nature Connectedness research has taken place as part of the Nature Unlocked programme, transforming the landscape into a living laboratory as scientists investigate how biodiversity supports both our mental and physical wellbeing. Across all four seasons, studies with schoolchildren and adults alike have revealed how different habitats and sensory experiences shape our emotional responses to the natural world.
Everyone can stay up to date with all the latest science news from Wakehurst by:
- Sign up for free monthly newsletters, sharing behind-the-scenes stories and what’s on
- Dive into the treasure trove of stories on the website
- Become a member and directly support vital science and conservation, benefitting from free entry year-around as well as exclusive discounts and events
- Join the conversation on social media, and follow Wakehurst on Facebook and Instagram
- Catch up with the latest Unearthed: The need for seeds podcast, hosted by Kew’s Ambassador for Wakehurst, Cate Blanchett
