Our Garden of Eden: One Man’s History of Hess Creek Canyon

Submitted by Luci Lettau

Photo by Luci Lettau

Amidst the busy school day, many students traverse Crisman Crossing and glimpse a canyon filled with plants and wildlife. The upkeep of this biodiverse area has passed through many volunteers, yet one man has stood by Hess Creek Canyon for more than 40 years, devoting his time to the care and beautification of the 15-acre area.

His name is Clyde Thomas. As a child, every Oct. 12, he visited his grandfather, who lived in Weesner House where his devotion to the canyon began.

“I got really acquainted with plants back then. There were lots of blackberries and ivy. I thoroughly enjoyed making trails through the thickets down to the creek,” Thomas said.

Catching crawdads in the creek and observing wildlife led him to attend George Fox University (GFU) as a student, graduating in 1978 as a biology major. His connection to the canyon inspired his senior project, where he marked the changes in all forms of life in the area.

“I asked, then investigated these questions: What kind of plants had been lost? What new plants have come in? Why have invasives become more widespread? What kind of plants should be here?” Thomas said.

After graduation, Thomas' career path began as a groundskeeper, then a superintendent of grounds, then an associate director of plant services, and eventually the department director of plant services. Throughout his career, he devoted additional time as a volunteer, ridding the canyon of invasive brush and debris from construction.

His focus has always been on the health of the canyon rather than the ease of work. This principle shaped his decision on the use of pesticides.

“I decided I didn't really like the fact that it was killing all the good plants with the bad. So we began doing it by hand, which is much more labor-intensive but better for the plants,” Thomas said.

Laboring to clear out the canyon by hand is safer for the plants but can present dangers to volunteers. Thomas is grateful for the safety his team has experienced over the years and does not attribute this to luck.

“God has been very protective of us working in the canyon,” he said.

Beyond protecting workers and plants, Thomas has also fought for the safety of the canyon itself and its identity within GFU. During his time working, there were proposals to fill in the canyon to create more land for construction.

“They said, ‘It’s of no value.’ And I go, ‘It has total value. The canyon is relaxation, an ability to let down and look at the environment. The canyon is an extension of the Christ garden into absolute nature and wilderness,’” Thomas said.

The canyon’s current existence speaks to Thomas’ dedication to preserving the natural land he sees as a gift from God. History is within the changes in landscape, plants, and wildlife that call the canyon home. Thomas has carried this history with him throughout the years, it is his life.

He has found several surprising artifacts in the canyon.

“We got a bone from a mammoth once [behind the suites],” Thomas said. His team also once found a human skull, aiding in the discovery that behind Weesner House is a 2,000-year-old Native American burial ground.

The history of the canyon is intricate, and it has become intertwined with the identity of George Fox University.

“There’s a lot more focus on the canyon now as they are recognizing it is, in fact, the center of the campus. They just can't let it go,” Thomas said.

He encourages students to recognize the privilege of living in such a beautiful place and to find a closer connection to God by acknowledging the land we inhabit.

“I think God puts us all in a place in this world, and I’m gonna call every place He puts us a Garden of Eden,” Thomas said. “It is up to us to cultivate an attitude within us of recognizing that we are in a special place and that it is our job to treat that place with honor and reverence, it is God’s creation, it is His.”

Hess Creek Canyon’s beauty and health will live on through our care and involvement. Whether by taking a hike or picking up a lone piece of litter, we can help show reverence for God’s creation and acknowledge our responsibility to treat it justly.