Jo Anne Van Tilburg of Rapa Nui's role in Polynesian seafaring history; Explore the natural environment of the Pacific Ocean and the ecology of Rapa Nui as part of that environment; Develop cultural exchanges with other Pacific islanders and continental peoples through the celebration of Rapa Nui maritime skills. Jo Anne Van Tilburg Jo Anne Van Tilburg is an American archaeologist best known for her research on the statues of Easter Island (Rapa Nui). Her primary specialty is rock art. Van Tilburg was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1965, receiving her Ph.D. from the University of California
Rapa Nui National Park introduced varieties. Among the shrubs, the "hau hau" ("Triumfetta semitriloba") is still present but Coprosoma spp., is not seen on the island. The wood of the now extinct Jubaea palm was used to make devices for transporting the huge stone moai statues. It has been established by carbon dating that this species of tree existed on the island till the 17th century. Ferns are indigenous to Rapa Nui, and four of the 15 species noted are endemic: "Doodia paschalis", "Polystichum fuentesii", "Elaphoglossum skottsbergii", and "Thelypteris espinosae". "Triumfetta semitriloba" which was considered an extinct species on the island was located in