Seed Banking

"To plant 1 trillion trees, we’ll need at least 3 trillion seeds.
We cannot address climate change without also restoring biodiversity, but ecosystem loss is making it harder to sustainably harvest wild seeds. If we want to fulfill the world’s restoration potential in ten years, we need thousands of seed banks to address native seed supply shortages."

— Dr. Marian Chau, Terraformation’s Head of Seed Banking

Why Is Seed Banking Critical?
Restoration of native forests is our best hope for reversing climate change, but wild seeds are urgently becoming a more limited resource. This seed supply shortage is an increasing challenge to ecosystem restoration, but seed banking can address bottlenecks in native seed availability and diversity.

Specifically, seed banking can help:

What Is Seed Banking?
Seed banking is the practice of cleaning, drying, storing, and testing seeds, using methods that preserve seed viability, so they can be used in the future. Without storage conditions that regulate temperature and humidity, many seeds lose viability within one year of collection. 

Key steps in the seed banking process include:

  • Cleaning
  • Drying under controlled conditions
  • Proper storage 
  • Testing for viability
  • Withdrawal for planting

Ready to Start Seed Banking?
Learn more about seed banking practices with Terraformation Academy and our Knowledge Base. For more personalized support, sign up for our Consultation Service. You can also use our DIY Seed Bank Build Guide to create your own seed bank. If you’d like to purchase a seed bank, request a quote here.