We love Spring, water, and the Earth! Join us for a variety of fun and feel-good activities on and around Earth Day 2024. General Earth Day questions? Email Jaclyn Heikkila.

Friday, April 19

Level Up Your Yard

• Noon to 1 p.m. – virtual presentation
  • Go from first-person to third-person view and look at your yard from a new perspective. Learn how to mod your yard to be healthier for you, your family, AND the environment. Gain XP with tips and tricks from your gamer Friend, Jaclyn to level up your yard!
  • This presentation will be on Zoom and also on Friends of the Rouge’s Facebook page
  • Attendees will get a special offer at our Rouge Store towards a purchase of native plants, rain barrels and more by participating!

Email Jaclyn H. at jheikkila@therouge.org for questions or accommodations.

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Saturday, April 20

Earth Day Cleanup at Fort St. Bridge Park

• 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. – in-person cleanup
  • Join Friends of the Rouge and Downriver Delta CDC in partnership with Motor City Magnet Fishers and Detroit River Coalition Earth Day cleanup for our annual event at Fort Street Bridge Interpretive Park [link to map] in Detroit along the Rouge River. Volunteers will be picking up trash to keep our rivers litter-free!

Email Jaclyn H. at jheikkila@therouge.org for questions or accommodations.

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Earth Day in the PARC

• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – in-person event & volunteer garden cleanup
  • Come out to Plymouth Arts & Recreation Complex (PARC) [link to map] to celebrate Earth Day with Friends of the Rouge and our fellow PARC tenants! Join us as we kick off our summer volunteer season by working together in our native gardens. We’ll have music, crafts, education, and even more fun to come! You won’t want to miss our first annual event with incredible organizations and businesses in your community and discovering our shared commitment to sustainability and making Earth Day EVERY day!
  • Click HERE to see a full list of 2024 PARC volunteer events!

Email Jacqueline K. at jkristofik@therouge.org for questions or accommodations.

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Spring Bug Hunt

• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – in-person monitoring event
  • Help Friends of the Rouge collect valuable data on ‘bugs’ in the Rouge River. No prior experience is necessary but you do need to pre-register to be assigned to a team. Children eight and older are welcome when accompanied by a participating adult. Groups of six or less can sign up together. Community Scientists will meet at the Plymouth Cultural Center [link to map] for a kick-off event. Learn more about the Bug Hunts at therouge.org/bug-hunts.
  • REGISTER by April 15th.

Email Sam at sdavis@therouge.org for questions or accommodations.

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Monday, April 22 – EARTH DAY!

Southfield Rain Gardens 101

• 7 to 8 p.m. – in-person & virtual presentation
  • Want to help improve the river while connecting with nature in your own yard? Join Friends of the Rouge to learn how you can create simple, low-cost, gardens designed to protect and improve local streams either in person in Southfield or virtually! These nature-based solutions to water pollution beautify the community and support human health and wellbeing.
  • In-person presentation at the Southfield Civic Center Pavilion, 26000 Evergreen Rd, Southfield [link to map]. Register below to participate VIRTUALLY, registration is required for virtual attendance.

Email Jaclyn H. at jheikkila@therouge.org for questions or accommodations.