6 Paintings of the Psyche by Mark Holtston
An innovative hospital program and museum in Rio has nurtured highly acclaimed artists while revealing the healing power of art.     

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14 Caretaker of Guyana's Water Dogs by Chris Hardman
Deep in the savanna, a passionate protector of these endangered river otters is rehabilitating them for release into the wild.     

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20 Haiti's Ball of Fire by Jane Regan 
Rooted in rhythms of the northern countryside, the nation's oldest big band is threatened by the invasion of foreign music and a failing economy.     

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28 In the Arms of the Desert by Jeffrey P. Cohn
The study of Sonoran saguaros, one of the world's tallest cacti, uncovers much about the survival of other plants in this extreme climate.   

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38 Mario Vargas Llosa: Author of Limitless Worlds by Caleb Bach
In an interview with Américas, this renowned Peruvian writer talks about his constant curiosity in issues that cross cultural, historical, and political boundaries.  

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46 Beating a Passage to the Pacific by Louis Werner 
More than ten years prior to the celebrated expedition of Lewis and Clark, a little-known Scotsman completed the first coast-to-coast trek across the continent.