Friends of the Rouge
650 Church Street Suite 209, Plymouth, MI 48170
EIN: 38-2672879
734-927-4900

Copyright 2025 Friends of the Rouge.

A Note from Ashley, Your FOTR Executive Director

As I sit at my desk watching new snowflakes gently fall, I’m reminded that January is a time for new beginnings. T.S. Eliot said “last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice…to make an end is to make a beginning.” I think this is what is so magical about the opportunity we create for ourselves every January – the chance to leave behind what was, and to reach out for what can be.

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Your New Fish Passage Dashboard: Culvert Survey Results

Summer of 2024, FOTR culvert technicians Ben Walski and Jerrad Jankowski 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.

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A Fantastic Year for Rain Gardens to the Rescue!

As we wrap up another fantastic year of our Rain Gardens to the Rescue program, we want to share our immense gratitude and pride for everyone involved!

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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 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.

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2024 Rain Gardens to the Rescue Installations

Our Friends of the Rouge Restoration team has been steadily working to install five community-scale rain gardens as part of the Rain Gardens to the Rescue (RGTTR) program, funded by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

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LaNita’s Memorial Park Ribbon Cutting Celebration

On Friday, August 2nd, the purple ribbon was cut to officially open LaNita’s Memorial Park in Detroit! The park’s design, flower selection, and location are inspired by LaNita.

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Picnic in the PARC

A huge thank you to everyone who came out for our recent PARC Rain Garden Spruce Up event—Picnic in the PARC!

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How Lights at Night Affects Wildlife

Light pollution comes in several forms, including skyglow (glowing haze over highly populated areas), light trespass (light that reaches beyond intended or needed area), and glare (light that excessively illuminates areas or objects).

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Redside Dace
Endangered Redside Dace Found in Rouge River!

The summer Rouge River fish surveys started off with a great surprise. While measuring and identifying fish on the Johnson Creek, Bob Muller noticed a minnow with a very large mouth and red stripe. It turned out to be a redside dace, a species found in very few watersheds in the state, endangered in Michigan, and declining in the Rouge River watershed.

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Oil Spill Threatens Rouge River

On June 22, Northville resident and Friend Jeff Snyder  was alarmed to see a boom on the river downstream of […]

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Build a Better Future

You deserve a clean and healthy Rouge River for your loved ones to safely enjoy today and to leave to future generations. Show your commitment to restoring the Rouge River watershed ecosystem by becoming a member and friend today.

Volunteer

Volunteers (like you!) are the people who make it possible to restore and protect your Rouge River right here in southeast Michigan

Donate or Become a Member

Restore and protect the Rouge River ecosystem by becoming a member and friend today.

On Your Own

What you do in your yard can make a big difference to the health of the river and our whole ecosystem.