.svg.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=small}
[Little Rock, Arkansas] – Ecological Design Group (EDG), a leading landscape architecture and civil engineering firm, is proud to announce its strategic partnership with 37 North and the hiring of Danny Collins as EDG’s Director of Experience. This partnership marks a transformative moment for EDG, as it strengthens its position as a premier firm in Arkansas offering a seamless integration of design, engineering, and experiential programming.
Danny Collins brings a wealth of expertise to EDG, with dual master’s degrees in architecture and business administration. His career spans adventure tourism, outdoor recreation, architecture and development, where he has been committed to harmonizing the built and natural environments. With a deep passion for conserving landscapes and fostering meaningful connections between people and nature, Danny is a natural fit for EDG’s mission and vision, as is his company, 37 North Expeditions, an Ozarks-based adventure guiding service dedicated to making outdoor exploration simple, accessible, and socially engaging through fully-curated experiences.
A partnership between EDG and 37 North is a natural evolution of their shared mission. Through this partnership, EDG is now uniquely positioned to offer clients more than just landscape architecture and civil engineering services. By integrating outdoor recreation programming and activation expertise from 37 North, EDG can ensure that outdoor spaces are not only well-designed but also thoughtfully programmed and fully activated for community engagement and long-term viability, delivering greater value to clients. Aligning seamlessly with EDG’s non-profit, studioDRIFT, which is dedicated to strengthening communities in the Arkansas Delta through outdoor recreation project development and activation.
Historically, outdoor space design has seldom been approached through the lens of long-term functionality and user experience. Yet every designed space is ultimately created for human interaction and connection. EDG’s expanded offering redefines this approach, embedding programming, activation, and operational planning into the earliest phases of design to ensure that each space not only functions beautifully but also enhance the individual experiences of those who inhabit and explore it. This strategic shift ensures that spaces are not just built, they're brought to life in ways that are vibrant, engaging, and deeply human.
“This partnership allows us to push the boundaries of what’s possible,” said Martin Smith, EDG Co-Founder and Principal. “At EDG, we believe in designing spaces that invite people into nature, and now we can go a step further—by programming and designing experiences that maximize the impact of our designs. The combination of EDG’s expertise in design, 37 North’s strength in programming, and studioDRIFT’s focus on rural community engagement creates an offering unlike anything else in the industry and in the state.”
Danny Collins added, “We’re not just building spaces—we’re building experiences. Places are experiences. Too often, the human experience is treated as an afterthought—something added once the space is complete. This partnership flips that notion. We will work with clients to think deeply about their activation goals from the very beginning. I think our work has the power to do something profound; to invite more people into nature through design and planned experiences, all while ensuring that these places we love are still thriving for generations to come.”
EDG is guided by the mission of pioneering resilient design and the vision of creating equitable environments, connected cultures, and impactful experiences. This partnership exemplifies this vision in action—by not only designing resilient outdoor spaces but also activating them in meaningful, inclusive, and community-centered ways.
Click HERE to download this press release.
For more information, please contact:
Addie Gibson
Director of Marketing
Ecological Design Group
(501) 378-0200
marketing@ecologicaldg.com
