Science Queeries is a radio show that brings the joy and curiosity of science out of the lab and into your lounge room. For National Science Week, we’re planting something special.

This year’s School Theme is Seeds of Science, so we’re digging into the world of plants, seedbanks and biodiversity with a guest who lives and breathes this stuff: Alastair Robinson, Manager of Biodiversity Services at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. He’s a botanist with a love for tropical mountain plants, orchids, and even carnivorous species – proof that not all plant science is as gentle as it looks.

We’ll be sprouting conversation around the Victorian Conservation Seedbank (VCS) – Victoria’s “backup hard drive” for native plants at risk of disappearing. The VCS stores seeds and spores from some of the state’s most threatened species and helps scientists figure out how to keep those seeds sleeping safely, how to wake them up, and how to grow tricky natives that don’t behave like your average garden pea. Supported by specialist labs and plant nurseries, the VCS is a vital part of the Gardens’ Bushfire Plant Recovery and Care Unit, helping damaged landscapes and ecosystems bounce back after fire.

You’ll hear how seeds collected in Victoria are also sent to their “long‑term holiday home” at the Millennium Seed Bank in the UK, and how more than 2,330 collections across 1,500+ taxa are quietly waiting in cold storage – tiny time capsules of future forests, grasslands and wildflowers.

Whether you’re a plant nerd, a casual park‑stroller, or just someone who enjoys a good pun about things that grow on you, this special broadcast will sow some new ideas about conservation, climate resilience and why small seeds can carry big hope.

Tune in as Science Queeries celebrates National Science Week by getting right down to the roots of biodiversity. Let your curiosity grow!

Available everywhere you get your podcasts and on JOY 94.9.