(MENAFN) Cate Blanchett, known globally as a top-tier actress with numerous accolades to her name, has taken an intriguing step away from her film career to delve into the realm of seed preservation. The celebrated actress has developed a keen interest in native flora, particularly the resilient banksia species from her home country, Australia.

With genuine excitement, Blanchett describes the fascinating qualities of the banksia seed pods. "It's quite a brutal looking seed pod that only releases its seed in extremely high temperatures," she explains.

She humorously adds, "It does look like a cross between a mallet and a toilet brush. So they're not always pretty, but yet what comes out of them is so spectacular." Her admiration for the plant's rugged exterior and transformative nature is palpable.

The setting for this conversation is the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) located at Wakehurst botanic garden in Sussex. Living nearby, Blanchett became involved with the initiative during its 25th anniversary celebration.

She reflects on her initial discovery: "Really, I stumbled upon Wakehurst. I was just in awe of the landscape and I always feel regenerated by being in the natural world," she shares.

She recounts how learning about the MSB profoundly affected her: "And then I discovered the seed bank, and I literally had my mind blown by the work that goes on here… and I thought, anything I can do to be connected to it - I found it so inspiring."

The MSB safeguards a vast collection of over 2.5 billion seeds, representing 40,000 different wild plant species from across the globe.

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