Darwin’s plants help climate change
A unique collection of dried plant specimens at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, could help scientists predict future climate changes.
The vast collection, which includes plants collected by Charles Darwin, is going digital after the Government announced £15 million in funding during COP26. It will take four years to scan the seven million specimens.
It’s hoped the online database will help scientists identify plants that can cope better with climate change. “It gives us the data to say what might happen,” said Kew’s head of science collections Dr Alan Paton. “And that provides nature-based solutions.”