Rouge Rundown10.30.2024

Your Rouge River Paddling Trip Awaits!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 End of Winter Paddle Trip! The group paddled upstream from Ford Field Park in Dearborn, and enjoyed a bonfire after the chilly paddle. Thank you to Motor City Canoe and Kayak Rental for their livery service, and our Trip Crew for helping guide the trip.

FOTR’s next paddle trip is the Learn to Paddle event on April 25th at 9am at Ford Field Park pond in Dearborn, this event is for beginner paddlers. Registration is free for the first 20 participants, compliments of Huron-Clinton MetroParks. Click the button to register. See you on the River!

Join us for our 2026 Speaker Series!

Purchase Your Tickets Here!

Join your Friends for a captivating presentation with Austin Eighmey, Director of Historic Resources at Fair Lane Estate, as he shares the remarkable and meticulous process of restoring the Estate complete with its challenges and triumphs.

Together, we’ll enjoy an insider’s look at the care, creativity, and dedication it took to bring this beloved landmark back to its former glory.

When: Sunday, April 26; 2-4pm
Where: Fair Lane Estate
Tickets are $20 and include admission along with light refreshments.

When: Sunday, April 26; 2-4pm

Where: Fair Lane Estate

Tickets are $20 and include admission along with light refreshments.

A River of Knowledge is brought to you by Ford’s Garage and sponsored by Carmeuse. Each gathering brings together passionate speakers and curious minds, offering a chance to deepen your shared commitment to the Rouge River.

Dearborn Library Rain Garden Spruce-Up

Protect your community and your Rouge River, one rain garden at a time! You are invited to the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn on Saturday, May 9th, for the first rain garden spruce-up of the season. The rain gardens will help prevent flooding, provide habitat for local species, and improve the overall health of the Rouge River.

From 10 am to 11:30 am, volunteers will be completing tasks like removing weeds and cleaning up trash. All ages and experiences are welcome. Gloves, tools, and water will also be provided.

Join Your Friends!

Picnic in the PARC

Spend a spring morning at the Plymouth Arts & Recreation Complex to help refresh the rain gardens on Saturday, May 16th. Starting at 9 am, volunteers will work together to remove weeds and clean up, followed by a potluck picnic and fun games!

These established rain gardens consist of beautiful native plants that keep the river cleaner and provide habitat. It will be a fun time to learn about native plants with music, fresh air, games, and good company! Everyone is welcome to join and bring a dish. All gardening tools and supplies will be provided.

Help Report Illicit Discharges

More Information & Hotlines

Have you ever noticed something unusual leaking or flowing into the river and wondered what to do? Friends of the Rouge volunteers and members have been at the forefront of noticing and reporting discharges, getting them addressed promptly. Please join us in keeping your eyes and nose open when you are out and about around our rivers, wetlands and lakes.

Unsure of what to report?

Spills to rivers, lakes, and streams
Discolored or unusual discharges from pipes
Sewage on the ground or draining to surface water
Odors such as sewage, detergent, chemicals, and petroleum
Large number of dead fish in waterways

Click the button for more information and numbers to call.

Congratulations Sally Petrella!

Sally Petrella, your FOTR Watershed Ecologist, passed the Michigan Mussel Identification Test in January which is a huge accomplishment! It’s a notoriously difficult exam and not many pass on the first try but she did!

In Michigan, it is illegal to possess or collect freshwater mussels without a permit due to their unstable populations, and passing the mussel identification certification is a requirement for permit holders. Michigan is home to 43 freshwater mussel species and historical records show 35 species in the Rouge River watershed dating back at least to the 1920s.

In addition to this exciting development, Lauren, Sam, and Sue have all attended the mussel classes hosted at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology in an attempt to expand the team’s knowledge and expertise as well.

Your Rouge Store is Open!

Pre-order beautiful native plants NOW for the Spring! Save the date for the pick-up and same day Spring Native Plant Market on Saturday May 16 at Ford Field Park in Dearborn. Find what’s right for your yard today!

ORDER DEADLINES:

Order your pick-up native plant flats by April 22nd.

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