Film star Cate Blanchett becomes Wakehurst’s first-ever ambassador: West Sussex’s wild botanic garden makes announcement on Earth Day

The wild botanic garden in Ardingly near Haywards Heath made the announcement on Earth Day (Monday, April 22).

Wakehurst, which is managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and is the home of the Millennium Seed Bank, said Cate Blanchett is passionate about the environment. They said she accepted the invitation from Wakehurst to help highlight the global impact of its ground-breaking work. People can watch her film www.kew.org/wakehurst.

Cate said: “I am delighted to be Wakehurst’s inaugural ambassador. I find the work done here to be utterly inspiring, and a genuine insurance policy against extinction of wild flora and fauna. The Millennium Seed Bank is a beacon of hope and international cooperation at a time when we’ve never needed it more.”

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Wakehurst said its aim is to find science-based solutions to ‘some of the most pressing challenges that the planet faces’.

Cate, who enjoys walking in the 535-acre landscape filled with plants from around the world, said: “Apart from it being a rich hub, Wakehurst is such a beautiful place to lose yourself in nature, in the immense varieties of trees, plants and grasses, that I want to help spread the word about this unique and stunning landscape that positively impacts all of our lives.”

Richard Deverell, director of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, said: “I am really delighted to welcome Cate into our fantastic Ambassador programme. She has been a powerful advocate on social and environmental issues throughout her career and I know she holds special affection for our wild botanic garden, Wakehurst, home to the Millennium Seed Bank. We look forward to working with Cate to bring the wonders of what we do to a wider audience and to celebrate nature together.”

Wakehurst offers formal gardens, wild meadows, woodlands and wetlands, plus the Millennium Seed Bank, which houses more than 2.4 billion seeds from around the world.

Head of marketing and strategic communications Marilena Reina called Wakehurst ‘a vital living laboratory’ where conservation science thrives in its biodiverse landscapes and labs. Wakehurst said Cate Blanchett joins a programme of 11 ambassadors and champions who support the work of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, including Dame Judi Dench, Emilia Fox and Kim Cattrall.