Thank you to everyone who came out for the National Canoe & Kayak Day Paddle event today at Ford Field Park!🛶
Many participants got to join in demo day around the Ford Field pond to try out paddling and several others filled, “Rouge River Man”, Bryon Frady’s canoe with trash from the River!
Special thanks to @motorcitycanoerental Motor City Canoe Rental - Oakwoods Metropark, National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, VegMichigan, and Detroit Audubon for their partnership in making this event a success!
Join FOTR for the next paddle trip, the Industrial Paddle, on September 17 in Melvindale!
#rougefriends #rougeriver #nationalcanoeday #lowerrougewatertrail #paddletherouge
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Thank you for all you do!!❤️
Wow. Those rocks are sunbathing.
Where
Cathy Parzianello
Hello
The next Merriman Hollow Garden Workday is this Saturday, June 25 from 9 till 12! Activities include weeding, removing invasive species, and picking up trash to beautify the space for all to enjoy. Volunteers needed, please sign up TODAY at tinyurl.com/22MHGarden. Get out to see the beautiful garden, lend a hand and enjoy the beautiful day outside ☀️🌸🦋
Location: Merriman Hollow Pollinator Garden is located on Hines Drive at the Merriman Road entrance between Ann Arbor Trail and Warren Road (where you enter for the Holiday Light). To access the site from Merriman Road, drive around the barricade if necessary. Once you turn into the park, our work will be on the left in the garden area near the river. Parking available on the right.
We are looking to have at least 25 volunteers at the event, but there is no limit on volunteers! All are welcome, kids in elementary school should be accompanied by an adult. Please dress appropriately for the weather with closed-toed shoes and clothes you don't mind getting dirty. Bring gloves, a large shovel, and something to drink.
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Paddle the Lower Rouge Tomorrow for National Canoe Day! 🛶
The launch at 10am from the Dearborn Hills Golf Course to Ford Field Park is recommended for experienced paddlers. There will also be a demo day for new paddlers around the Ford Field pond! FREE CANOE & KAYAK RENTALS with a dry bag giveaway! REGISTER NOW AT therouge.org/water-trail/water-trail-events/.
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When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.Great time, interesting float, water was lowbut doable. Gorgeous day and interesting, friendly folks. Also a little cleanup done! Look forward to more! Thanks Friends of the Rouge, Motor City Kayak and Canoe, and all who supplied food and info!
Happy National Pollinator Week from Friends of the Rouge! Pollinators- birds, bees, butterflies, beetles, flies, and other small mammals- are essential for supporting food crops, wetlands, and beauty in outdoor spaces.
Habitat loss, pesticides, and disease are the three biggest threats to pollinators.
There are many ways you can protect pollinator species, including planting native plants that host a specific pollinator, creating natural, diverse lawn spaces, minimizing mowing and the use of pesticides, and leaving your leaves and old vegetation in the fall/winter!
Check out out the FOTR Pollinators 101 webinar here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=w02PdXPyePk to learn more about the pollination process, pollinators, threats to pollinators, and how you can support pollinators at home! 🌼🌱🌿🐝🪲
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This video features the Prairie Pathway Nature Trail & Butterfly Gardens, found in Detroit’s Rouge Park, which is home to several pollinator and native plant species!
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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.
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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.
COVID-19 NOTICE VIEW FULL POLICY HERE
We are now able to have the public into our space at PARC. Our regular business hours are M-Th 10-4. |