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FOTR Happenings

Fall Friends Fest!

Friends – You are invited to celebrate Fall, your River, and the beautiful impact that YOU make. Mark your calendar and join Friends for a...
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Friends of the Rouge
2 days ago
Friends of the Rouge

It is time to break out your flannels, sweaters, and costumes!🎃 You are invited to celebrate your Rouge River and all things Fall at the Fall Friends Fest! 🍂

Mark your calendar for October 19 from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm. Join Friends for a beautiful day at Ford Field Park. Enjoy decorations from the Haunted Paddle 🚣‍♀️, toast s’mores 🍫, and connect with Friends at interactive Rouge River tents! 🎉 This family-friendly event is free. Costumes are optional, if you dare. 👻

When: Saturday, October 19, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Where: Ford Field Pond, South Parking Lot, Monroe St, Dearborn, MI 48124

Make sure to visit the welcome tent and say hello! If you are an amazing member and Friend - Pick up a complimentary thank you gift, donated by a caring member like you.

See you at the River! ... See MoreSee Less

It is time to break out your flannels, sweaters, and costumes!🎃 You are invited to celebrate your Rouge River and all things Fall at the Fall Friends Fest! 🍂 Mark your calendar for October 19 from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm. Join Friends for a beautiful day at Ford Field Park. Enjoy decorations from the Haunted Paddle 🚣‍♀️, toast s’mores 🍫, and connect with Friends at interactive Rouge River tents! 🎉 This family-friendly event is free. Costumes are optional, if you dare. 👻 When: Saturday, October 19, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM Where: Ford Field Pond, South Parking Lot, Monroe St, Dearborn, MI 48124 Make sure to visit the welcome tent and say hello! If you are an amazing member and Friend - Pick up a complimentary thank you gift, donated by a caring member like you. See you at the River!Image attachmentImage attachment+4Image attachment
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Friends of the Rouge
2 days ago
Friends of the Rouge

FOTR is so proud to partner with National Wildlife Federation and Sierra Club Michigan Chapter to bring more rain gardens to the City of Detroit, Highland Park, and Hamtramck...
Great news for some Great Lakes: NFWF announced $13.8 million in grant funding for projects that will restore key habitats for wildlife, improve water quality and enhance urban greenspace throughout the Great Lakes basin.Great news for some Great Lakes: Today NFWF announced $13.8 million in grant funding to restore key habitats for wildlife, improve water quality and enhance urban greenspace throughout the Great Lakes basin.

Read about it >> loom.ly/3gjxJWA

Congrats on your grant awards, The Nature Conservancy in Illinois, Delta Institute, Shirley Heinze Land Trust, Huron Pines, National Wildlife Federation, City of Rochester Hills- Government, Oakland County, Michigan Government, Superior Watershed Partnership, Trout Unlimited, Conservation Resource Alliance - CRA, Detroit Zoo, South St. Louis Soil & Water Conservation District, The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota, NY State Parks & Historic Sites, Tifft Nature Preserve, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, Metroparks Toledo, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Regional Science Consortium, Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership, Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Thiensville, WI - Village Government, Ducks Unlimited, and more!

The Sustain Our Great Lakes program is a public–private partnership administered by NFWF and receives funding and other support from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, U.S. EPA Region 5 (Great Lakes Region), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service.

📷: Bittern

#greatlakes #environment #conservation #wildlife ... See MoreSee Less

FOTR is so proud to partner with National Wildlife Federation and Sierra Club Michigan Chapter to bring more rain gardens to the City of Detroit, Highland Park, and Hamtramck... Great news for some Great Lakes: NFWF announced $13.8 million in grant funding for projects that will restore key habitats for wildlife, improve water quality and enhance urban greenspace throughout the Great Lakes basin.
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Friends of the Rouge
3 days ago
Friends of the Rouge

Who else is excited to find the purr-fect home for their new native plants? 🌱

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Fall Native Plant Market on Saturday! 🍂You have added beauty to your yard, while helping to protect local pollinators and your Rouge River. 💧

Thank you to the wonderful vendors for your continued work providing native plants to our watershed. 💙 ... See MoreSee Less

Who else is excited to find the purr-fect home for their new native plants? 🌱 Thank you to everyone who came out to the Fall Native Plant Market on Saturday! 🍂You have added beauty to your yard, while helping to protect local pollinators and your Rouge River. 💧 Thank you to the wonderful vendors for your continued work providing native plants to our watershed. 💙
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Friends of the Rouge
6 days ago
Friends of the Rouge

Thank YOU Friends for your votes! 💙

Thanks to your support, FOTR was awarded $3,354.85. Your votes have helped to create a better hometown River! 💧

You can now see how Target Circle™ members spread the love and helped direct Target funds to nonprofits in your community. Click the link to view results: www.target.com/circle/community-voting/results ... See MoreSee Less

Thank YOU Friends for your votes! 💙 Thanks to your support, FOTR was awarded $3,354.85. Your votes have helped to create a better hometown River! 💧 You can now see how Target Circle™ members spread the love and helped direct Target funds to nonprofits in your community. Click the link to view results: https://www.target.com/circle/community-voting/results
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Friends of the Rouge
1 week ago
Friends of the Rouge

It is almost time for the Fall Native Plant Market! 🌱

Join FOTR and Keep Growing Detroit on Saturday October 5, 11 AM - 2 PM, at Keep Growing Detroit Farm at 3100 Orleans, Detroit MI 48207

Select from a variety of native plants sold on-site by multiple local vendors. 🌿 Enjoy a beautiful Fall day at Eastern Market!🍂

Vendors include:
Keep Growing Detroit, Designs by Nature, LLC, Detroit Wildflower Nursery, LLC, Michiganense Natives, New Leaf Natives Plant Nursery, Plants for Ecology: Native Plants to Heal Our Planet. BetterFinds Native Plants, Windy Rock Farm, and Feral Flora ... See MoreSee Less

It is almost time for the Fall Native Plant Market! 🌱 Join FOTR and Keep Growing Detroit on Saturday October 5, 11 AM - 2 PM, at Keep Growing Detroit Farm at 3100 Orleans, Detroit MI 48207 Select from a variety of native plants sold on-site by multiple local vendors. 🌿 Enjoy a beautiful Fall day at Eastern Market!🍂 Vendors include: Keep Growing Detroit, Designs by Nature, LLC, Detroit Wildflower Nursery, LLC, Michiganense Natives, New Leaf Natives Plant Nursery, Plants for Ecology: Native Plants to Heal Our Planet. BetterFinds Native Plants, Windy Rock Farm, and Feral Flora
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Our Services

Friends of the Rouge in ACTION

Rouge Rescue

Rouge Education Project

River Restoration

River Monitoring

Rouge River Water Trail

Our annual river clean up

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...
School-based environmental education

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.

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How we care for the land

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.

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Residents become citizen scientists

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.

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Along 29.25 miles of the Lower Rouge

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.

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Volunteer to Make a Difference

Friends of the Rouge began as a volunteer organization, so volunteerism sits at the core of mission to serve the Rouge River watershed.

Become a Member

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.

Sponsorship Opportunities

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!

Networking to Build Community

Our community stakeholders, partners, and alliances make our watershed healthier! Thank you to all who make a difference by caring about the Rouge River.

Financial Transparency

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.

FAQs

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.

Our Sponsors

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  • Ralph C. Wilson Jr., Foundation Parks & Trails logo
  • Erb Family Foundation logo
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  • Alliance of Rouge Communities

Hear Our Voice
We acknowledge …the systemic injustices and pervasive racism that occurs for people of color.
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A Better Rouge For Us All

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.

Voices for the Rouge

“

  • 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.

    Karrie Martin, Teacher, Mary Helen Guest Elementary School, Walled Lake Rouge Education Project

  • 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.

    Judy Front, Volunteer Monitoring Program

  • 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.

    Carly Nowcki, Volunteer Monitoring Program

  • 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.

    John Gundry, Landscape Architect, Wayne County Parks

  • “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.”

    Emily Staugaitis

  • “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.”

    Steve Weis

  • “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.”

    Tracy Ortiz, Teacher

  • “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”

    Tamika JaJa