(Above) A botanist at work at Kew. © Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
A series of tours will take visitors behind the scenes at Kew National Science and Engineering Week (March 12-21 2010) to show the scientific importance of the work of the Botanic Gardens.
The tours will take in the Herbarium at the beauty spot, where more than seven million dried plant specimens are kept, together with hundreds of thousands of books and archival items.
Tours will also explore Kew's high-tech Jodrell laboratories, where plants are classified according to their DNA, and The Tropical Nursery – the largest of Kew’s glasshouses and home to plants which are either extinct or on the brink of extinction in the wild.
This will be a rare glimpse into an area not usually open to the public, making the tour a great opportunity for anyone who is passionate about horticulture.
Kew's Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst Place, the country garden in West Sussex, will also be opening its doors for special Science Week tours. The world’s largest wild plant seed bank and the only plant conservation project of its kind, it holds seed from 10% of all the world's wild plant species.
Visitors will be able to explore the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst Place during National Science Week
The tours are free, but booking in advance is recommended. In addition to the week of events for Science Week, Kew will be celebrating International Biodiversity Year with more events throughout the year.
National Science and Engineering Week is a 10-day programme of activities across the UK aimed at people of all ages. Find out more at www.britishscienceassociation.org.
