Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norway photo credit: Riccardo Gangale

Other Seed Banks 

There are over 1700 seed banks across the world, each specialising in a different species of plants and food crop preservation. 

​Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norway 

This seed vault is located deep within the rock and permafrost on a remote island in the Svalbard archipelago. It's nicknamed the doomsday vault and was opened in 2008. It specialises in crop collection from around the world duplicating seed samples and acts as a back up/insurance for the world’s food supply. It was recognised as a vital storage facility with the rapidly growing effects of climate change challenging our food security. The seeds of onions from Brazil, guar beans from central Asia and wildflowers from a meadow at Prince Charles’s home in the UK are among the species being safeguarded at the Svalbard ​Svalbard Global Seed Vault.
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photo credit: Riccardo Gangale

Royal Botanic Gardens Kew: Millennium Seed Bank, UK

The Millennium Seed Bank is located in rural Sussex, south of London. This underground collection contains over 2.4 billion seeds from all around the world. These sub-zero seed storage facilities are extensive and are design to withstand flooding, bomb blasts and are radiation proof. This collection holds the worlds largest and most diverse range of wild plant species, representing 97 different countries. The collection focuses on seeds that can tolerate being dried and frozen, from regions particularly vulnerable to climate change, such as alpine, drylands, coastal and island ecosystems. And plants that are are endangered, important food source, economic staples and species that are endemic to a particular location. Visit the website and view the video for more fascinating information about the collections, processing and subterranean storage facility.

The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney

The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust in Sydney has had a long term role in the collection and preservation of Australian plant species. During the 1980s new seed collection facilities were extended with the opening of the new Botanic Gardens at Mount Tomah, Blue Mountains and Mount Annan, later PlantBank was built in 2013 as a research facility and subterranean seed bank.

Australian PlantBank

Australia's largest collection of native seeds are stored at the Australian PlantBank in the Botanic Garden, Mount Annan NSW. This underground vault stores seeds and plant tissue culture from over 50% of NSW threatened plant species. A large science and research facility is also located here where extensive research is carried out into the preservation of native plant species. Its collection particularly focuses on plants from NSW and preparing seeds and plants to regenerate damaged eco-systems following bush fires, land clearing and climate change damage and for reclamation.

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)

BGCI is the largest internationl conservation network connecting 500 botanic gardens across more than 100 countries. It aims to collect, conserve, characterise and cultivate samples from plants as an insurance policy against their extinction in the wild and as a source of plant material for human innovation, adaptation and resilience. They have offices in the UK, USA, China, Kenya and Russia.  
NOTE: This project is fictional & has been created for the Eden Unearthed 2021 art installation exhibition at Eden Gardens NSW Australia       @sallykidall2021