Volunteers needed to search for bugs from samples.
Going on an #egghunt this weekend? 🔍 If you find yourself near a pond this spring, look out for frog and toad eggs! How do you tell them apart? Frogs lay eggs in masses or clusters, while toads lay eggs in strings! (Photo by USFWS). 🐸
Want to learn more about frogs and toads in southeast Michigan? Join our Frog and Toad survey! There is still time to register for the 2024 survey. Go to therouge.org/frog-toad-survey-training-workshops/ TODAY! There are also scheduled frog and toad listening events planned for registered surveyors. Join the Frog and Toad Patrol today!
... See MoreSee Less
Join us Friday, April 19th at noon LIVE via zoom and Facebook to learn all about how to create a 5-star yard for yourself, pollinators and wildlife, and our local Rouge River! Register now at tinyurl.com/LevelUpYourYard. ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Is that a floating barge I see? See the original post to learn how this new fixture is being used in the dredging and habitat restoration project for Wilcox Lake.
Join the Alliance of Rouge Communities and local municipalities Thursday, March 28th, at 7:00 pm for an update meeting on the Restoration Projects for Wilcox lake and Phoenix Lake. Meet at the Plymouth Township Hall, 9955 N. Haggerty Rd, Plymouth, MI.“What is that thing?” As you pass by Wayne County Parks Wilcox Lake in City of Plymouth, you may notice a new fixture. This is a floating barge, which will be used to support dredge equipment removing excess sediment from the lake. The dredge process will likely take several months, after which the barge will be removed. The dredging of excess sediment will create a deeper pocket, favored by resident fish populations. This effort is part of the ARC's “Rouge River AOC Habitat Restoration - Wilcox/Phoenix Implementation” project funded by a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant from the U.S. EPA Region 5 (Great Lakes Region), (Grant# GL-00E03267-0). For more information visit www.allianceofrougecommunities.com/wilcox.html
... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Thank you to all of our Paddlers who came out for the End of Winter Paddle Event last weekend! ❄️ They braved the cold for beautiful snowy views and a fun trip on the Rouge. 🚣♂️
Join us for our next paddle event on May 13th! fb.me/e/3cK1d4JMW
... See MoreSee Less
3 CommentsComment on Facebook
I had a great trip!
The bold ones get the beauty! Looks like a wonderful trip.
Dearborn?
LAST CALL: Order your MAIL ORDER native plant kits by this FRIDAY, March 29th! Get beautiful native plants shipped right to your door in June. Find a kit with 10 species perfect for your planting area or get a full flat of one species! Each mail-order flat comes with 50 plants. Perennial flowers AND grasses available! ORDER NOW at therouge.org/store/.
Members- don't forget to use your discount coupon code at checkout! Want to become a member and get 10% your purchase? Go to therouge.org/store/membership/ to become a member today.
... See MoreSee Less
Since 1986, volunteers have removed large quantities of trash from the river. Public perception shifted from the river as an open sewer and a place to dump trash to its restoration including invasive plants removal, installation of native plantings, and stabilization of stream banks.
Learn more...We involve elementary, middle, and high schools from across southeastern Michigan. Students learn about the Rouge River in class, and then perform hands-on scientific exploration of the river on a field trip to its banks. They are encouraged to take action to restore and protect the river.
Learn more...How we care for the land impacts water quality in our local lakes and rivers. The River Restoration program teaches residents of the watershed how to manage their land to improve water quality and to provide wildlife habitat through hands-on projects and educational events.
Learn more...This program engages residents to become citizen scientists, collecting data about the health of the watershed through biological indicator species (bugs, frogs, fish, etc.) that reflect the long-term health of the watershed. As water quality improves, bugs frogs and fish are returning.
Learn more...FOTR is currently working with local partners to develop a water trail on 29.25 miles of the Lower Rouge from Canton to the Detroit River. Much of the river corridor is protected within Wayne County Parks, making it ideal for the development of launches and amenities.
Learn more...Friends of the Rouge began as a volunteer organization, so volunteerism sits at the core of mission to serve the Rouge River watershed.
Be part of the legacy. Support the vital work we do by helping us meet critical milestones for programs that make a lasting impact of the Rouge River watershed’s health.
Get involved! Support our diverse programs through sponsorships that have the power to make real and lasting change for the health of the Rouge River watershed!
Our community stakeholders, partners, and alliances make our watershed healthier! Thank you to all who make a difference by caring about the Rouge River.
We adhere to all federal and state regulations, produce annual financial audits, submit all reporting documents in a timely manner with clear accounting methods and record keeping.
Curious about something in the Rouge? We may already have an answer to commonly asked questions regarding our organization or the watershed. Check out our FAQs HERE.
Hear Our Voice
We acknowledge …the systemic injustices and pervasive racism that occurs for people of color.
READ MORE…
You care about the Rouge River. Watch how, together, we have been making your river cleaner and more vibrant for the plants and animals, and for the people of Southeast Michigan to enjoy.
Any chance that we have to expose our students to science in the world outside of our classrooms is an opportunity to expose them to new passions. We know that days like this have the potential to change the trajectory of a student’s life.
We’re all connected to our environment, whether we realize it or not. I am making a difference by educating myself, and educating others, that our actions and attitudes affect the habitats around us. I am always proud to tell them that the Rouge is much improved over the past decade, thanks to the collective efforts of sponsors and volunteers.
By working with the FOTR, it helps to improve my skills as a scientist and gives my graduate work new meaning. Knowing that what I am doing could potentially help save an ecosystem like the Rouge River is inspiring to me as a future scientist.
Your volunteer group has been amazing this year. All the work they have done with the native plantings and cleaning up around the water looks top notch. Spreading the sand and stone at the boat launch has really improved the area visually and, according to the users comments below, it functions much better to launch boats. Please let your volunteer group know that their work is extremely appreciated by parks staff as well as the visitors.
“I envision the new rain garden as a living demonstration for stormwater management in a neighborhood (Hamtramck) that continually suffers from flooding during heavy rains. A place where people can learn how a rain garden can help them naturally manage floods.”
“I really want to thank Friends of the Rouge. You have allowed me to have fun over the years and get involved in something rewarding. With a group like FOTR, you really get to “act locally” by getting directly involved and getting your hands dirty and getting wet. To experience first hand that volunteers can make a difference in protecting and advocating for a local natural feature.”
“You have a lot of kids who come in and say ‘I don’t like science.’ ‘I am not a scientist.’ ‘I have never been to the River.’ The Rouge Education Project changes them.”
“It gives me a rush! I love the thrill of grabbing the big tray of leaves and mud….All that potential of finding what’s alive and waiting to be discovered”
The FOTR office is open Monday-Thursday from 10am to 3pm. |
0 CommentsComment on Facebook