Polynesian navigation snow. In the mid-20th century, Thor Heyerdahl proposed a new theory of Polynesian origins (one which did not win general acceptance), arguing that the Polynesians had migrated from South America on balsa-log boats. The presence in the Cook Islands of sweet potato that is a plant native to the Americas (called "kūmara" in Māori), which have been radiocarbon-dated to 1000 CE, has been cited as evidence that Americans could have traveled to Oceania. The current thinking is that sweet potato was brought to central Polynesia circa 700 CE and spread across Polynesia from there, possibly by Polynesians who had traveled
Thor Heyerdahl Climate Park Thor Heyerdahl Climate Park Thor Heyerdahl Climate Park is an 1,800-acre climate park located in Ayeyarwady Region of Myanmar. The park is situated at the delta region of Irrawaddy River at the edge of the Bay of Bengal. The park was named after the Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer, Thor Heyerdahl. It was initiated following the research on mangrove restoration by the Worldview International Foundation (WIF) in 2012 in association with Pathein University, Myeik University and Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry, Myanmar. The park is designed for mangrove restoration in Myanmar to overcome losses of 1 million Hectares since 1980.