Leonel Mejía, an 18-year-old Bolivian from the Andean highlands, is leading an effort to preserve up to 40 native potato ...

bulbs, and even the flowers off a cactus in a pinch, they appear to have a favorite in palms, bromeliads, and especially, fruit. Unfortunately, that sweet tooth can also land Andean bears in trouble.

By the time he was 12, he had shifted his focus to native Andean tubers, starting a catalog to document and classify local potato varieties and their unique characteristics. Today, that catalog ...