Talking Climate, Creativity and Communications in the Most Biodiverse Place on Earth
If you want creativity to happen it's no good holding your event in a boxy hotel room surrounded by four walls of grey...
... which is why Wakehurst was a great venue for Content Rising, an event all about how to communicate better and more creatively about climate change, the environment and sustainability.
In her welcome speech to attendees, Wakehurst Director Susan Raikes shared that this 500-acre botanic garden in Sussex - the "bigger, younger and wilder sister of Kew" - is the most biodiverse place on the planet.
Wow!
And it's largely because Wakehurst is home to the Millennium Seed Bank. A place which stores and protects 2.4 billion seeds from more than 40,000 different plant species.
Facts and Stats about Wakehurst to Wow You
Here are some of the interesting things I took away from the venue for Content Rising:
- Wakehurst is the most biodiverse place on planet Earth
- The Millennium Seed Bank stores and protects 2.4 billion seeds
- More than 40,000 different plant species are represented in the Millennium Seed Bank
- Wakehurst is the largest and most diverse wild plant species genetic resource in the world
- Through the Nature Unlocked project, scientists are using the Wakehurst landscape as a 'living laboratory', to research the value and benefits of biodiversity.
- Scientists are researching at Wakehurst to help come up with solutions for big issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss and change of land use. Investigating carbon storage and how to maximise pollinators, for example.
- Wakehurst says one in five plant species are threatened with extinction. One in five! (and we already know many animal species are under threat, too, of course)
- The oldest tree in the Wakehurst gardens is a yew tree (it's posh name is Taxus baccata). It dates back to 1391, making it 634 years old.
- The Wakehurst site stretches way beyond the area used for Content Rising. The botanic gardens cover an area of about 500 acres - about the size of 320 football pitches. More than enough ground to get your 10,000 steps in for the day.
A Warm Welcome, Friendly Smile and Great Customer Service Go a Long Way
For many Content Rising attendees, it was their first visit to Wakehurst. And many of those - like myself - expressed a desire to revisit another day, with friends or family.
The Content Rising organisers, crew and volunteers were excellent.
And, from my experiences on the day, so were the staff at Wakehurst. Welcoming and helpful, often with a smile as they passed on a path. Good customer service goes a long way in my book and here it reinforced that desire to return.
RESOURCES:
www.kew.org/wakehurst
QUESTIONS & PROMPTS:
. Have you been to Wakehurst (or did you even know it existed)?
. How might you support, promote or collaborate with Wakehurst - the planet's most biodiverse place?
. What ideas or insights could you take from a place like Wakehurst and use in your own work, business or organisation?
