""Equinox is one of the best local firms to integrate ecological and resiliency considerations in a meaningful, comprehensive way. They have ecological experts directly on staff and prioritize resiliency in their plans and designs. Their staff cares a lot, and they often go above and beyond to inventory sites. We have been involved in multiple projects with Equinox in which they led community and stakeholder input sessions (Pisgah View State Park, Chestnut Mountain Nature Park) - we find their community engagement process considerate, on-the-ground, well-advertised and approachable for locals due to the venue, graphics, and relationships. Equinox is very thoughtful about how to balance economic development, restoration, recreation and ecological considerations - their ability to juggle these and give fair weight to pros and cons is well thought out. (Some other firms in the region tend to be more "flashy" economic development and recreation-focused and they are less able to meaningfully integrate community/stakeholder input, ecological and restoration concerns - they talk about these items, but I've found they do not execute as meaningful a process to these factors)." "