Tree Walk Honors Evan Williams

Fourteen years ago, then-students David Craig ’90 and Eric Wold ’90, with assistance from the biology department and grounds supervisor, observed the birds that visit campus, conducted a comprehensive census of campus trees, and wrote A Natural History Guide to the Lewis & Clark College Campus. The guide included a section called the Tree Walk featuring 48 species of trees. The goal was to provide an interactive educational experience for the campus community and its visitors.

Over the last decade, the Tree Walk has fallen into disrepair and no longer exists as a continuous path. However, plans are afoot to repair and reconstitute the walk—and to add a new twist: include native plants and trees that Meriwether Lewis and William Clark encountered on their trek west.

Two years ago, Clara Elias ’04 began work to revitalize the Tree Walk under the supervision of Evan Williams, founder and chair of the environmental studies program. An environmental studies major, Elias has started to inventory the intact trees and signs on what remains of the Tree Walk.

At present, the College plans to redesign the Tree Walk so it will meander in congruence with the campus master plan and link the residential and academic halves of the campus. It will take the form of a continuous loop that can be entered at any point. Tasteful signage and an accompanying guidebook are also part of the project.

The Tree Walk will be named in honor of Williams, who is now on leave battling cancer. Williams has helped countless students as an adviser, professor, and mentor. It is because of his leadership and passion that a revitalized Tree Walk will soon bloom.

Make a gift to help fund the Tree Walk project honoring Evan Williams.