Member and Volunteer LOVE fest
Hey Friend, because your Rouge River love is amazing, this event is for YOU! You are warmly invited for a fun-filled free volunteer and member appreciation event, awards ceremony, and general meeting.
Date: Wednesday, June 10
Time: 6:00-8:00 PM
Where: the beautiful Warrendale Park Picnic Shelter in Dearborn Heights, MI 48127
What: 6:00 PM – light picnic dinner and interactive River tents with FOTR staff
6:30 PM – awards and appreciation-fest
Come as you are! This family-friendly event honors your amazing impact for a better hometown Rouge River.
This event is free – kindly register so that we may grill enough for all.
Frog & Toad Walk
Frog and Toad Surveyors joined West Bloomfield Parks out in the trails for the interactive “Who’s Calling? Frog Hike” to hear Michigan’s vocal amphibians. Participants practiced their frog calls, learned more about the local habitat and the group identified spring peepers on this beautiful hike!
Interested in practicing your Frog & Toad calls? Join your Friends on Thursday, May 21st, from 8 PM – 9 PM at Colonial Park in Inkster for a Frog & Toad Walk. This family-friendly walk is accessible and open to all.
Claude Allison Rain Garden Spruce-Up
Join Friends of the Rouge at the first Claude Allison Park rain garden spruce-up of the year! On Saturday, May 30th, from 10 AM – 1 PM, volunteers will be in Redford to clear out old growth, remove weeds, and plant more native plants if needed.
These rain gardens will help prevent flooding, provide habitat for local species, and collect stormwater for the Redford community. Register to volunteer with your Rouge River community below!
Perennial Planting at Fort St Bridge Park
Tree planting for the Fort Street Bridge Park is complete, but the next phase begins! Join Friends of the Rouge on Friday, June 5th from 10 AM – 1 PM to plant the perennial garden that is being installed at the park. Over 1,000 perennial plants will be planted in total at this site.
Fort Street Bridge Park commemorates the Ford Hunger March of 1932 and will be a site that transforms the Rouge River corridor to support wildlife habitat and provide recreational opportunities to Detroit residents.
All tools and proper planting instructions will be provided! Click the button to register today!
Paddle with Friends!
Thank you to everyone who joined us on our Spring Birding paddle with the Detroit Bird Alliance. The weather was beautiful, and we saw over two dozen bird species. Thank you to Motor City Canoe and Kayak rental for providing boat rentals, and to Gretchen from DBA for leading our birders on the river! Thank you to the Trip Crew volunteers who make each trip special and safe for all.
FOTR’s next paddle trip will be June 6th at Morton Taylor Trailhead in Canton, we will paddle downstream to Lilley Road. Click the button below to register!
Learn about Rain Gardens!
Interested in starting your own rain garden? Learn the basics at the Rain Gardens 101 workshop!
Offered both in June and July, the Rain Gardens 101 presentation will cover the basics of rain gardens and how you can build one in your own yard. Located at the Henry Ford Centennial Library, this workshop is free and open to the public. No supplies are necessary, but feel free to bring note-taking materials.
Click the links below to sign up for either the June 20th or July 18th workshop!
2026 E. Coli Monitoring Begins
There are a number of active and former landfills in the Rouge River watershed. While you may not think about their connection to our waterways, landfills can be significant sources of water pollution. When water percolates through buried waste, the toxins it carries can enter groundwater and make its way to local streams. Lead, ammonia, and even PFAS are common pollutants.
The Arbor Hills Landfill in Salem Township, was identified by the state as a PFAS site in 2019, contaminating our Johnson Creek and its fish. The landfill is currently seeking to expand. Local residents, FOTR, the Ecology Center and a local group called The Conservancy Initiative are questioning the need, impact and increased contamination likely with an expansion. Learn more about each by clicking the buttons below.
2026 E. Coli Monitoring Begins
This week your monitoring team began a summer E. coli sampling project in partnership with the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. The team will be collecting samples at the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park’s Water Garden to safeguard the health of park goers. Sampling will be conducted weekly and will include testing a new technology called the Bactiquick instrument. Researchers at Wayne State University are interested in partnering with local groups to validate the use of the instrument as an alternative or complement to standard E. coli testing for deciding whether surface waters are safe.
Rouge River Supporters
A better River is made possible thanks to these
supporters and in thanks to caring Friends like you
Upcoming Events
Saturday May 30 at 10 AM: Claude Allison Rain Garden Spruce-Up
Friday June 5 a at 10 AM: Fort Street Bridge Perennial Planting
Saturday June 6 at 9 AM: Canton River Days Paddle Trip
Wednesday June 10 at 6 PM: Celebrate with Friends
Thursday June 11 at 6 PM: Henry Ford Centennial Library Spruce Up
Partner Events
May 1-May 31: Detroit Bird Alliance: The Great Detroit Bird Off!
May 30: Friends of Rouge Park: Birding at Rouge Park: May Migration
June 29-July 12: Michigan Clean Water Corps: Aquatic Invasive Species Detection Blitz
Job Opportunities
For other job opportunities please visit:
Great Lakes Email Groups – Great Lakes Commission
Conservation Job Board – Find Conservation & Environmental Jobs
Categories
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News & EventsLearn more about upcoming FOTR events and projects
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NewslettersThe Rouge Rundown is our biweekly newsletter. Click to read past editions.