Ten young people aged 16-19 from across Britain have taken off this week on a once in a lifetime expedition to the Galapagos. It is part of an initiative led by two Champions of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Dwayne Fields and Phoebe Smith, to inspire a love of nature in the next generation and offer unique opportunities to open access to adventure. Just before their departure this week, the group met for the first time at Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex. This is also home to the Millennium Seed Bank, a global conservation resource containing 2.5 billion wild plant seeds representing 40,000 species.

The group of young people from Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Powys, the West Midlands, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, North London, Streatham and East Sussex are the 2024 cohort chosen by Dwayne and Phoebe’s #WeTwo Foundation. They slept outdoors at Wakehurst before leaving for London on Tuesday, 22 October, bound for the Galapagos. The #WeTwoFoundation is a charity, founded by adventurers Phoebe Smith and Dwayne Fields, working with underprivileged young people from across Britain helping them improve their communities, confidence and job prospects by taking them on life-changing expeditions. In 2022 they took a group to Antarctica to follow in Shackleton’s footsteps, after which most of the young people used the skills and experiences they gained on the trip to help them secure jobs or enter further education.

Ciara O’Sullivan, Head of Communications and Engagement at RBG Kew, said: “Being a Kew Champion is about using your platform to inspire others to value plants and fungi as much as we do and ultimately to protect nature. We are proud to support Phoebe and Dwayne as they try to inspire a new generation to love and respect the outdoors through this amazing once in a lifetime adventure.

We are particularly pleased that we worked out a way for them to spend the night outdoors, gazing out over the beautiful Sussex Weald at Wakehurst, learning about the work we do there and in the Millennium Seed Bank. If that doesn’t set the scene for their trip, I don’t know what will.” Press Release After their night under the stars at Wakehurst, the 2024 expedition team planted 300 wildflower seeds in one of Wakehurst’s meadows to help encourage native species to grow and improve biodiversity. They then started their journey, following in Charles Darwin’s footsteps, nearly 200 years after he left Plymouth on the Beagle and visited the Galapagos Islands.

“The Antarctica expedition and mentorship programme proved that by giving opportunities to those young people who need it most has made a huge difference, not only to them but also their communities,” says Phoebe and Dwayne, RBG Kew Champions. “For us, expeditions are not about planting flags, but planting seeds – in so many ways. And Kew and Wakehurst’s values and incredible work aligns perfectly with the aims of our charity.”

For further information contact WakehurstPR@kew.org or Rhiannon Williams r.williams3@kew.org

Notes to Editors

More about #WeTwo Foundation Participants in the expedition don’t have to contribute financially but instead ‘pay it forward’ with environmental good deeds in their local community, which they are encouraged to continue with, on their return. This year’s cohort undertook multiple litter picks, environmental clean-ups, invasive species removal in local green spaces, volunteering at community gardens and tree planting in some of the most deprived areas across Britain.

All kit has been provided to the young people by Craghoppers (who have also sponsored two expedition places), travel insurance was donated by True Traveller and on-the-ground trip details have been coordinated with Intrepid Travel (who also sponsored two places).

While in the Galapagos, the young people – as well as meeting Darwin’s tortoises, birdwatching for the endemic finch, and snorkelling to monitor the underwater life (many of which are only found there) – will be taking part in sustainability projects, beach clean-ups, removing invasive plant species on land, collecting and cataloguing any debris found in the ocean, planting trees and meeting local conservationists to learn what is being done to help safeguard the future of the islands.

For more info about the charity and to donate to the next expedition see www.TeamWeTwo.com and email teamwetwo@gmail.com

About Wakehurst

Wakehurst is Kew’s wild botanic garden in the Sussex High Weald National Landscape. Its ancient and beautiful landscapes span 535 acres and are a place for escape, exploration, tranquility, and wonder. Its diverse collection of plants from Britain and around the globe thrive within a tapestry of innovative gardens, temperate woodlands, meadows, and wetlands. Wakehurst is a centre for UK biodiversity and global conservation, seed research and ecosystem science.

At its heart is Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, the world’s largest store of seeds from wild plant species. Whilst Wakehurst is not a National Trust property, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has a longstanding relationship with the National Trust dating back to 1965 when Kew took over the Press Release running of Wakehurst’s botanical landscapes and Elizabethan Mansion. Since then, we’ve been working together to find the best ways to protect nature, prevent biodiversity loss, and build a better tomorrow. The National Trust was bequeathed the Mansion and grounds of Wakehurst in 1963. It was then entrusted to us here at Kew in 1965, and we now work in partnership with the National Trust to care for our collections and heritage areas. RBG Kew receives approximately one third of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils.

Further funding needed to support RBG Kew’s vital work comes from donors, membership and commercial activity including ticket sales. In the first six months since implementing a new accessibility scheme for those in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Legacy Benefits, Kew has welcomed over 100,000 visitors with £1 tickets. At the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, we’re dedicated to harnessing the power of plants and fungi to end the extinction crisis and secure a future for all life on Earth. With our world-leading research, global partnerships and beloved gardens – home to the world’s most diverse collections of plants and fungi – we’re using our trusted voice to shape policy and practice worldwide. As a charity we rely on the critical support of our visitors, not only to sustain the gardens, but to protect global plant and fungal biodiversity for the benefit of our planet and humanity.