Science is a long game. Clark shows how patience, persistence, and global collaboration can unlock nature’s toughest riddles. (4/4)

Through it all, Clark has identified nearly 180 new species—about 10% of all known bamboo. Her work shapes how we classify grasses worldwide. (3/4)

Why so puzzling? Bamboo flowers only once in decades, then dies. Fieldwork means scaling mountains, navigating jungles, and even Bolivia’s “Death Road.” (2/4)