Share Your Heart with Your Rouge River
This August 7, 6 – 9 PM at HopCat Livonia, you are invited to the Heart of the Rouge fundraiser event. Join with Friends to lift your heart and celebrate your hometown River as you support its brighter future.
The Rouge River’s Bell Branch tributary, runs next to HopCat. You can enjoy live “salty” river demonstrations right at the event. Interact with “River Rangers”. Meet & chat with Rouge River naturalists and staff at program tents. Relish wonderful food, two drink tickets, bottomless non-alcoholic drinks, and live music with instrumental American guitarist Tim Barrett. Enjoy a silent auction of nature-art, created and donated by 25 local artists! |
Your Rouge River Paddling Trip Awaits!
You are invited to experience nature from the seat of a kayak! Join your Friends and the Black Pack for a paddle trip on July 27 from Dearborn Hills Golf Course to Ford Field Park. The Black Pack creates opportunities for Black, indigenous, and people of color to experience the outdoors. All are welcome on this wonderful paddle trip! Paddlers have the option to rent a canoe or kayak or bring their own boat. Please note, fees are due in advance for all attendees. Register today! |
Picnic in the PARC on July 27th
Spend a morning in the gardens with your Friends, followed by a sunny picnic and fun games together! We’ll work together cleaning up our native plants to some great music and conversation, and end the morning with a picnic next to the garden! We’ll learn about all the native plants in our garden and seek out the pollinators that visit them, including Monarch butterflies! Look forward to fresh air, good company, games, music, and more! It will be a wonderful way to start your weekend! |
Inkster Summer Magic Paddle Trip & Health Fair
You are invited to a FREE Health Fair at Inkster Park from 10 am – 1 PM on Saturday, August 3. This event, hosted by FOTR, the Inkster Task Force, the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, and other community health resource partners will feature a mini Farmer’s Market, games, and a boys and girls bike raffle. Corwell Health, Oak Street Health, MetroParks, and Blue Cross Complete will be on hand to share valuable community health resources.
For some bonus Summer Magic, you can join in on a guided paddle trip on the Lower Rouge River Water Trail that will conclude at Inkster Park at the Health Fair. |
Appreciating the Fish of the Rouge
We have five species of suckers in the Rouge River system! The most common one is the white sucker, pictured above. Unfortunately, this fish is often considered a “trash fish” but nothing is further from the truth. Fish in the sucker family (Catostomidae) are almost exclusively found in North America. Their soft lips are covered in taste buds that help them find detritus and feel insects on the bottom of the river. Suckers spawn in the spring and swim up small tributaries, thereby transferring nutrients and enriching the food web. Next spring, watch your local tributary for the sucker run. Maybe it is not a bad thing if suckers are born every minute.
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Attention South End Neighbors!
Are you a resident of South Dearborn or River Rouge? You are invited to join FOTR for Rain Gardens to the Rescue! This program is a series of 5 workshops all about rain gardens and hands-on garden installations. It is FREE and open to the public! Hands-on garden installations with your community provide an opportunity to control storm water in your neighborhood with beautiful native plants that everyone can enjoy! Learn how to create and maintain a native garden, and plant your own for free!
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Fall Native Plant Market: Pre-Sales Now Open!
Pre-order beautiful native plants, rain barrels, composters, and more NOW for Fall! Save the date for the pick-up and same day Fall Native Plant Market with local vendors selling a variety of native plants on Saturday October 5 at Keep Growing Detroit Farm. Find what’s right for your yard today!
ORDER DEADLINES:
Mail Order Plants: Wed. July 31
Pick-Up Plants: Fri. September 20
Pick-Up Rain Barrels + Composters: Fri. September 27 |
Spring Bug Hunt Report Complete
Thank you to the 96 amazing volunteers who along with Wayne county staff, and Trout Unlimited volunteers, sampled for “bugs” at over 30 sites this Spring at your Rouge River. Volunteers also collected information about the levels of salt and nitrate at each site. Five sites had toxic levels of salt (greater than 320 parts per million). No sites had high nitrate levels.
You are invited to read the Spring Bug Hunt report – and explore the Stream Quality Index (SQI) at sites across the Watershed. SQI is a water quality rating determined by the type, number, and sensitivity of the “bugs” found. Higher SQI scores reflect better quality sites. Then, get ready for more amazing community science with the Fall Bug Hunt! |
| From Your Friend, Lauren Monitoring Manager |
A better River is made possible thanks to these supporters & in thanks to caring Friends like you
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