Tucked away in a freezer housed within a concrete vault in Seattle is a treasure trove of genes. These genes represent the genetic diversity of some of Washington’s rarest native plants and are packaged in nature’s most efficient storage containers — seeds. The Miller Seed Vault currently holds over 1 million seeds representing over 150 rare, native species. Managed by Washington Rare Plant Care and Conservation (Rare Care), the seed vault’s mission is to collect and conserve seeds of the rare, native plant species of Washington for long-term protection. Come learn from the Rare Care staff how seeds are collected from wild populations and journey their way into our vault, safeguarding Washington’s biodiversity for generations to come. All the while learning about the biology of seeds, the science of seed banking, and some of the ways we break seed dormancy to initiate germination.

The Washington Rare Plant Care and Conservation Program (Rare Care) at the University of Washington Botanic Gardens is a conservation initiative dedicated to protecting Washington state's native rare, threatened, and endangered vascular plants. Rare Care’s Program Manager is Wendy Gibble and their Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator is Naomi Reibold.

Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026 7:00pm
Bellevue Botanical Garden, Aaron Education Center, 12001 Main St, Bellevue, WA 98005

Program will be in-person & live streamed via Zoom. For information on how to sign up for Zoom, please contact our event web page:

https://www.wnps.org/cps-events/the-role-of-seed-banking-in-native-plant-conservation

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Stewart Wechsler, our Botanist Fellow, will host a plant ID workshops prior to this program at 6:30 PM. In addition to any plant samples the chapter botanists bring, attendees are welcome to bring in plant samples for identification.

Public invited, admission is free, donations appreciated