Please note the FOTR Office will be closed June 29- July 3. Your Next Rouge Rundown will be sent on July 8th
Bring your Heart to Heart of the Rouge!
Join us for our biennial fundraiser Heart of the Rouge: Our Ruby Anniversary — celebrating 40 years of protecting and restoring your hometown River.
When: Thursday, August 13th; 6pm-9pm
Where: Sorensen Rec Area of Rouge Park
Tickets: $100 member | $140 nonmember
Jack Nissen, host of FOX 2 Detroit’s Brother Nature, will be on hand to guide you through the evening as our emcee!
Spend an evening in Rouge Park with interactive river experiences, great food, drink tickets, live music, and a silent auction featuring local art and unforgettable experiences.
Let’s honor the past and invest in a brighter future for the Rouge.
Rain Gardens 101
Join your gardening Friends to learn the basics of rain gardens at the Rain Gardens 101 workshop on Saturday!
The free Rain Gardens 101 introductory presentation will provide you with a starting place for rain gardens. Located at the Henry Ford Centennial Library, this workshop is open to the public. No supplies are necessary, but feel free to bring note-taking materials.
Thank you to DTE for their sponsorship of this workshop.
Unable to attend on June 20th? There will be a workshop held on July 18th; register on Bloomerang!
National Canoe Day
Join your Friends on the Rouge Saturday June 27th for a paddle trip celebrating National Canoe Day! Local vendors will be sharing free resources prior to launching in Dearborn. Registration is available using the button below.
See you on the River!
Thank You to Our Volunteers!
June has been a productive month for the organization, and it couldn’t have happened without volunteers like you! Over 80 volunteers contributed 259 hours so far this month in all different kinds of volunteer opportunities, like spruce-ups, plantings, and tabling. Thank you to the incredible volunteers for all your hard work, good energy, and support during these events.
Want to join in? Sign up for volunteer opportunities on Bloomerang Volunteer!
Rouge Fish Team Kicks off the Season
If you attended our annual picnic on June 10, you had the opportunity to view some of the interesting fish that make their homes in the Rouge River. June 10 was the first day of fish surveys for the Rouge Fish Team. Every year, the team samples the fish community at 20 sites in the summer. Fish are some of the best indicators of how well our river is doing. This year, your Rouge Fish Team will be visiting sites with recent restoration projects including the new daylighted river at Northville Downs, keep an eye on the status of our endangered redside dace as well as the movement of the invasive round goby.
Eat Safe Fish
If you are heading out to try your hand at catching fish in the Rouge River, we suggest you consult the new guidelines if you plan to eat any of the fish. While there are many health benefits to eating fish, some fish contain harmful chemicals, depending on the species and the location where you are fishing. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has just updated their “Eat Safe Fish Guide” for 2026. In the Rouge, there are consumption advisories for Carpenter Lake, Johnson Creek and parts of all four branches. Consult the guide before you head out.
Livonia Frog & Toad Walk
Your monitoring team hosted a frog and toad group walk along Nankin Lake in Livonia on June 3rd. A fun time was shared with our group of 23 folks who showed up for the walk. Matthew (Hew) Helms, one of our fabulous volunteers, co-led the walk to share his knowledge and expertise. He has been surveying the area near Nankin Lake for the frog and toad survey. While we didn’t hear any frogs calling during the walk, in the past 7 of the 8 species that live in our watershed have been heard calling near Nankin Lake. The frog and toad survey is ongoing and will wrap up in July.
Rain Gardens to the Rescue
Do you live in Dearborn and want to install your own rain garden?
The Rain Gardens to the Rescue program is a series of 5 workshops every Saturday in August that teaches you about rain gardens, their purpose, and the steps to take to create a rain garden of your own. Residents and institutions (i.e. libraries, activity centers, places of faith) are encouraged to apply to participate in the program. A limited number of applicants will receive a residential-sized or community-scale rain garden, supplies, and installation support for their gardens. The educational workshop series is free and open to Dearborn residents.
Rouge River Supporters
A better River is made possible thanks to these
supporters and in thanks to caring Friends like you
Upcoming Events
Saturday June 20 at 11AM: Rain Garden 101
Saturday June 27 at 9 AM: National Canoe Day Paddle Trip
Saturday June 27 at 9 AM: Kinder-Garden PARC Rain Garden Maintenance
Wednesday July 15 at 10 AM: Claude Allison Rain Garden Spruce-Up
Wednesday July 15 at 6 PM: Centennial Library Rain Garden Spruce-Up
Partner Events
July 10: 8pm-11pm Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy’s Annual Bat Count
June 29-July 12: Michigan Clean Water Corps: Aquatic Invasive Species Detection Blitz
Job Opportunities:
Huron River Watershed Council: Program Coordinator
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.