Film star is garden’s first ambassador
Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett has become the first ever ambassador of Wakehurst.
The wild botanic garden in ArdinglynearHaywardsHeath 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 helphighlighttheglobalimpact of its ground-breaking work.
Catesaid:“Iamdelightedto 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.”
Wakehurst said its aim is to findscience-basedsolutionsto ‘someofthemostpressingchallenges that the planet faces’.
Cate, who enjoys walking in the 535-acre landscape filled with plants from around the world,said:“Apartfromitbeing arichhub,Wakehurstissucha beautiful place to lose yourself innature,intheimmensevarietiesoftrees,plantsandgrasses, that I want to help spread the word about this unique and stunning landscape that positively impacts all of our lives.”
Richard Deverell, director ofRoyalBotanicGardens,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 hercareerandIknowsheholds 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,wildmeadows,woodlands and wetlands, plus the Millennium Seed Bank, which houses more than 2.4 billion seeds from around the world.
Headofmarketingandstrategic 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.