The Arkansas Delta has suffered for decades from extreme poverty, population decline, and an eroding economic base resulting in impoverished counties with the highest poverty rate and the shortest life expectancy in the state.

studioDRIFT is on a mission to help the communities of the Delta by developing outdoor recreation projects that improve the quality of life and strengthen the regional economy.

We have 2 primary strategies - develop cost effective gravel biking and paddle sports infrastructure.

Our current focus is the Crowley’s Ridge Gravel Trail - a 250 mile route that links 18 communities and 7 state parks in the eastern part of the state. To date, we have raised over a million dollars for the construction of trailheads and the installation of informational signage.

To encourage people to experience Crowley’s Ridge Gravel Trail we host annual events in Birdeye and Helena. Now in our fifth year, we have hosted more than 500 people from 10 different states at events that blend accessible outdoor recreation (biking, running and kayaking) with charming Delta culture.

studioDRIFT was founded in 2020 by Kara and Martin Smith - a 7th generation family from the Delta - and is financially supported by Ecological Design Group - a landscape architecture and civil engineering firm with offices in Wynne, Little Rock and Rogers.

To accelerate the pace of development, studioDRIFT is now partnering with key community and corporate leaders to make catalyzing investments that usher in the Delta’s outdoor economy - a $3.5 billion dollar sector for Arkansas that accounts for 2.4% of our gross domestic product (GDP) and directly supports 39,929 jobs. [ADPHT]

Would you consider joining us in this effort?