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friends@therouge.org | 734-927-4900 | Fax: 734-927-4920
Leave the Leaves
Leave the Leaves
You are hereby granted more time for fun this fall! Learn how you can help endangered pollinators and oother beneficial insects by doing less work this fall!
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Culvert Survey Dashboard
This summer, FOTR culvert technicians led the sampling of over 225 sites along the Lower Rouge and its tributaries where the stream crosses a road. Check out the new stream crossing dashboard, where every single site can be found with corresponding data and scoring.
FOTR staff letting a young girl volunteer see clams
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Ways that You Can Give Smarter!
Chart your legacy for a better River today and in the future!
FOTR staff letting a young girl volunteer see clams
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FOTR Happenings

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💚Friday Frog Feature: 🐾
Wood frogs are found in deciduous, mature forests and use temporary, shallow ponds for breeding activities. These frogs are medium sized (adults grow up to 3.25 in. long) and are recognized by the black line across their eyes that gives the appearance of being masked. Females and males are easily distinguished by color and size: females are large and red whereas males are small and gray.

The call of the wood frog has been likened to the quacking of a duck or the clucking of a chicken, and are one of the first species we hear in early spring.

If you would like to participate in our 2025 Frog and Toad Survey, please register docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe77MhvEY90sooPyD7AAsR2B1Hu-L27mi2jy56GKta1NdXyWw/viewform

For more information on these adorable creatures visit: therouge.org/creature-feature-wood-frog/
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💚Friday Frog Feature: 🐾
Wood frogs are found in deciduous, mature forests and use temporary, shallow ponds for breeding activities. These frogs are medium sized (adults grow up to 3.25 in. long) and are recognized by the black line across their eyes that gives the appearance of being masked. Females and males are easily distinguished by color and size: females are large and red whereas males are small and gray. 

The call of the wood frog has been likened to the quacking of a duck or the clucking of a chicken, and are one of the first species we hear in early spring.

If you would like to participate in our 2025 Frog and Toad Survey, please register https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe77MhvEY90sooPyD7AAsR2B1Hu-L27mi2jy56GKta1NdXyWw/viewform

For more information on these adorable creatures visit: https://therouge.org/creature-feature-wood-frog/Image attachment

Looking to learn more about the Area of Concern (AOC) projects in the Rouge Watershed? The RRAC (Rouge River Advisory Council) has created a dashboard just for you! Visit: www.allianceofrougecommunities.com/dashboard.html

On this Dashboard, you can click pins on the map to get more information on each project. You can also view the projects by category, including CSO Control and Wetland Restoration.

This project was created with funding provided through an AOC Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grant.
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Looking to learn more about the Area of Concern (AOC) projects in the Rouge Watershed? The RRAC (Rouge River Advisory Council) has created a dashboard just for you! Visit: https://www.allianceofrougecommunities.com/dashboard.html

On this Dashboard, you can click pins on the map to get more information on each project. You can also view the projects by category, including CSO Control and Wetland Restoration. 

This project was created with funding provided through an AOC Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grant.

Are you ready to transform your lawn into a living habitat and stormwater solution? 💧This is the class for you! Design your own rain garden step-by-step as you learn the A, B, C's of rain gardening. đŸŒ±This includes lessons learned from more than 1,400 rain gardens built by homeowners just like you! 🏠

The class is done virtually and presented live, where you can ask questions and have discussions with other students in your local neighborhood. The course also includes an in person visit to a rain garden in your area! đŸŒș Earn your certification – including a t-shirt and sign – by attending all five classes and building your own rain garden or adopting a public rain garden. 🌿

Full scholarships are available for residents in the following zip codes:
Detroit (48209, 48217), Ecorse (48229), Inkster (48141), Lincoln Park (48146), Melvindale (48122), River Rouge (48218), Riverview (48193), Romulus (48174), Taylor (48180).

Class Times: January 30th to February 27th on Thursdays from 10 am - 2 pm

Class Location: Virtual Classroom with In-Person Tours throughout SE Michigan

Learn more and apply today: www.hrwc.org/what-we-do/programs/green-infrastructure/raincatchers/registration/
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Are you ready to transform your lawn into a living habitat and stormwater solution? 💧This is the class for you! Design your own rain garden step-by-step as you learn the A, B, Cs of rain gardening. đŸŒ±This includes lessons learned from more than 1,400 rain gardens built by homeowners just like you! 🏠

The class is done virtually and presented live, where you can ask questions and have discussions with other students in your local neighborhood. The course also includes an in person visit to a rain garden in your area! đŸŒș Earn your certification – including a t-shirt and sign – by attending all five classes and building your own rain garden or adopting a public rain garden. 🌿

Full scholarships are available for residents in the following zip codes:
Detroit (48209, 48217), Ecorse (48229), Inkster (48141), Lincoln Park (48146), Melvindale (48122), River Rouge (48218), Riverview (48193), Romulus (48174), Taylor (48180).

Class Times: January 30th to February 27th on Thursdays from 10 am - 2 pm

Class Location: Virtual Classroom with In-Person Tours throughout SE Michigan

Learn more and apply today: https://www.hrwc.org/what-we-do/programs/green-infrastructure/raincatchers/registration/

This last weekend, FOTR hosted a wonderful celebration of Fall and Your Rouge River! 💧

There was a record 154 paddlers for the annual haunted Paddle trip on the Lower Rouge River Water Trail. đŸšŁâ€â™€ïžWitches, pirates, and scary clowns, lined the banks of the Rouge as paddlers traversed from Dearborn Hills Golf Course to Ford Field Park. đŸ‘»

At the park, paddlers joined Friends of the Rouge partners, sponsors, and volunteers at its first ever Fall Festival. 🍂 Each FOTR Program was represented with a unique tent display. The fun included: spooky music, costumes, and s'mores. The National Kidney Foundation of Michigan was also there sharing health, nutrition, and wellness information.

The City of Dearborn Government, Motor City Canoe Rental Rouge River Outpost, Inkster Task Force, The National Kidney Foundation of Michigan each contributed greatly to this effort.

Thank you to all participants for a fabulous Fall Fest. 🍂
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This last weekend, FOTR hosted a wonderful celebration of Fall and Your Rouge River! 💧

There was a record 154 paddlers for the annual haunted Paddle trip on the Lower Rouge River Water Trail.  đŸšŁâ€â™€ïžWitches, pirates, and scary clowns, lined the banks of the Rouge as paddlers traversed from Dearborn Hills Golf Course to Ford Field Park. đŸ‘» 

At the park, paddlers joined Friends of the Rouge partners, sponsors, and volunteers at its first ever Fall Festival. 🍂 Each FOTR Program was represented with a unique tent display. The fun included: spooky music, costumes, and smores. The National Kidney Foundation of Michigan was also there sharing health, nutrition, and wellness information. 

The City of Dearborn Government, Motor City Canoe Rental Rouge River Outpost, Inkster Task Force, The National Kidney Foundation of Michigan each contributed greatly to this effort. 

Thank you to all participants for a fabulous Fall Fest. 🍂Image attachmentImage attachment+3Image attachment

1 CommentComment on Facebook

It's was a Haunting Good time preparing for the Event as well ... Takes ALL of Us! Thanks Mr. Herman/Miss Theresa 💕

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Don’t miss a thing! Read FOTR news you can use in our Rouge Rundown.

Current Weather at FOTR headquarters

Updates affecting our Rain Gardens
Go to Weather Underground... →

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Rain Gardens 101

One Water – We Are the Rouge!

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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.

Learn more...
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.

Learn more...
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.

Learn more...
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.

Learn more...

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

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

Hear Our Voice
We acknowledge …the systemic injustices and pervasive racism that occurs for people of color.
READ MORE…

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

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