Explore Rouge Creatures and Flora

Looking to learn more about plant and wildlife throughout the Rouge River Watershed? Explore among the Rouge Creature Feature and Flora Feature articles below for a deeper dive into your Rouge watershed inhabitants! Or search for a plant or animal across the site by pressing the magnifying glass icon to the right of the main menu above

CREATURE FEATURES

CREATURE FEATURE: A Beautiful Conundrum

GET TO KNOW: Mute Swans Swans are...

Zebra Mussels and Asian Clams Threaten Rouge Mussels

On Wednesday, September 28, biologist and freshwater...

Wood Frog

CREATURE FEATURE: The Early Frog gets the ….

GET TO KNOW: Wood frogs If the...

North American red fox by Dennis Jarvis CC-BY-SA-2.0 & pub domain

CREATURE FEATURE – The Suburban Fox

North American red fox (Vulpes vulpes fulva)...

merlin-cardina-nuthatch

CREATURE FEATURE: January Birds

GET TO KNOWBirds in Winter Winter landscapes...

Eastern chipmonk - Gilles Gonthier CC-BY-2.0

CREATURE FEATURE – Why the Hate?

Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) – photo by...

Rare Mussels Discovered in Rouge River post image

Rare Mussels Discovered in Rouge River

In July 2021, while conducting routine fish...

Stonecat catfish by Robert Muller

CREATURE FEATURE: Little River “cats”

Stonecat catfish (Noturus flavus) – photo by...

American Mink running at water's edge

CREATURE FEATURE – Wild Beauty

American mink (Neovison vison) – by Konrad...

Asian Jumping Worm

CREATURE FEATURE – Earthworms (European & Asian Jumpers)

The Trouble with Worms GET TO KNOWCommon...

Adult great egret with breeding feathers

CREATURE FEATURE – Great Egret

A Symbol for Conservation and Hope GET...

Central mudminnow - by Robert Muller

CREATURE FEATURE – A Small and Mighty Fish

GET TO KNOW Central mudminnow At the...

Eastern garter snake

CREATURE FEATURE – A Shy and Harmless Neighbor

GET TO KNOW Eastern garter snake Garter...

Adult flathead mayfly

CREATURE FEATURE – Mayfly

Dance of the Mayfly GET TO KNOW...

American Toad on grass

CREATURE FEATURE – American Toad

A Grumpy Garden Helper GET TO KNOW...

Male wood duck by Mike's Birds CC-BY-SA-2.0

CREATURE FEATURE – Wood Ducks

A Fine Coat of Many Colors GET...

Midland chorus frog on a finger

CREATURE FEATURE – Chorus Frogs

A Song of Spring GET TO KNOW...

Close-up of snow flea on ice

CREATURE FEATURE – Snow Fleas

A Tiny Circus in the Snow GET...

Male Dark-eyed junco

CREATURE FEATURE Dark-eyed Junco

Nature’s Original “Snowbird” GET TO KNOW Dark-eyed...

Slender Winter Stonefly

CREATURE FEATURE Winter Stonefly

A Journey to the Ice and Snow...

Beaver -photo by Amanda CC-BY-2.0

CREATURE FEATURE North American Beaver

The Return of an Old Friend GET...

Redside Dace phot by Robert Muller

CREATURE FEATURE – Redside Dace

A Creature in Danger GET TO KNOW...

Striped skunk

CREATURE FEATURE – Striped skunks

Beyond the Stink GET TO KNOW Striped...

Mourning cloak butterfly on branch

CREATURE FEATURE – Mourning Cloak

A True Survivor GET TO KNOW Mourning...

Eastern red-backed salamander

CREATURE FEATURE Eastern red-backed salamander

Life Under the Leaves GET TO KNOW:...

Male & Female Belted Kingfisher

CREATURE FEATURE Belted Kingfishers

Watershed Royalty GET TO KNOW: Belted Kingfishers...

Gilled Snail in Rouge watershed

CREATURE FEATURE Freshwater Snails

Gilled freshwater snail swims in Rouge watershed....

Round gobies on stream bottom

CREATURE FEATURE – Round Goby

An Unwelcome Imposter GET TO KNOW round...

Hummingbird Moth Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

CREATURE FEATURE – Hummingbird Moth

Is it a hummingbird? A butterfly? A...

CREATURE FEATURE – Green Heron

Hide & Seek! Can you find me?...

CREATURE FEATURE – Opossum

Guess who helps fight tick borne disease?...

CREATURE FEATURE – Snapping Turtle

Why did the turtle cross the road?...

Ebony Jewelwing damselfly

CREATURE FEATURE- Damselfly

Am I a dragonfly? Known for brilliant,...

Rainbow Darter

CREATURE FEATURE – Rainbow Darter

Can you find a rainbow in the...

Keep Butterflies in Mind When Planning Your Garden

For most gardeners, each year’s garden is...

FLORA FEATURES

Cattails in Winter

FLORA FEATURE – Standing Tall in the Winter Ice

GET TO KNOW –Cattails Along the edge...

Winter goldfinch on sunflower - public domain

FLORA FEATURE: Celebrating a New Year in the Winter Garden

American goldfinch on a snow covered sunflower...

Staghorn sumac fruits feed a bludbird in winter

FLORA FEATURE: Wintertime Sustenance for Wildlife

GET TO KNOWMichigan Native Sumac Shrubs Sumac...

Sugar Maple colors in fall

FLORA FEATURE – Autumn Glory

Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) – photo: David...

Trees on Main Street Plymouth

FLORA FEATURE – The Street Life

Trees on Main Street in Plymouth –...

Native Plant border at Chicago Botanical Garden

FLORA FEATURE – Replacing the Turf

GET TO KNOW: Michigan Native Grasses In...

Swainson's thrush in spicebush

FLORA FEATURE – Life in the Shrub Lane

GET TO KNOW Our native shrubs Two...

European Frogbit (hydrocharis) Jermey Halls - CC-BY-SA-2.0)

FLORA FEATURE – A Great Lakes Hitchhiker

GET TO KNOW European frog-bit European (or...

Garlic Mustard flower, leaves, tall plants

FLORA FEATURE – The Importance of Place

GET TO KNOW Garlic Mustard In its...

American pussy willow branch

FLORA FEATURE – All-Star Host for Pollinators

GET TO KNOW American Pussy Willow The...

Spring ephemeral flowers - by Deb Nystorm CC-BY-2.0

FLORA FEATURE – Fleeting Flowers in the Woods

GET TO KNOW Spring Ephemerals In early...

Winterberry shrub by David Guthrie CC-BY-SA-2.0

FLORA FEATURE – A Wintertime Bounty for Birds

Winterberry One of the prettiest plants in...

Keep Butterflies in Mind When Planning Your Garden

For most gardeners, each year’s garden is...