Several teachers learned the basics of our Rouge Education Project throughout this week: looking at water chemistry, bugs, and a physical stream survey. 💧🧪🏄
They will take this information back to their classrooms to work with students this upcoming school year, encouraging project, place, and research-based work and taking action in their communities based on what they find!
REP also worked with the Aerokats and Rover Education Network to learn more about how to use water quality probeware (ROVER), and a kite equipped with a camera and sensors to collect atmospheric data (AEROKAT) as part of the international GLOBE program.
Thank you to this wonderful group of educators for learning with us, and to the NOAA Education Great Lakes B-WET program for their support of this hands-on watershed education program!
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Westland Friends (and Westland neighbors!): check out tonight's Rain Gardens/Rain Barrels 101 talk at the Westland Public Library at 6pm. Matthew Bertrand will be giving and fun, energetic talk to get your oriented and get you going solving water problems in your community. There will also be door prizes: a free rain barrel and a free consultation! ... See MoreSee Less
Protecting our Watershed: Rain Gardens and Rain Barrels 101
westlandlibrary.evanced.info
Flooded basements, flooded streets, and dirty creeks share a common cause, and that’s too much dirty water runoff during big storms. Join Friends of the Rouge Senior Restoration Coordinator Matthew ...what a fun day of sunshine and BUGS! 🪱🐛🐞🦗🦋 ... See MoreSee Less
Aside. On Tuesday, I heard my nephew's story about some gigantic bug that bumped him while he was swimming. I finally determined from the description that it was a hellgramite.
The cardinal flowers are stunning in the PARC rain gardens. ... See MoreSee Less
I had them in my yard many years ago. I discovered this flower on the banks of the AuSable River. They're so striking.
Hummingbirds love them.
Beautiful 😍
Saw them on my tour
Beautiful!
Thank you Giffels Webster for your wonderful partnership for a cleaner and more vibrant Rouge River! You put Heart into the Rouge! www.giffelswebster.com/ ... 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.
Come visit us at PARC. Our regular business hours are M-Th 10-4.
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