Rouge Rundown – July 2, 2025: Rouge Cruise Tickets | Rain Gardens 101 | Fishy Tales & More!

Enjoy paddling the Rouge River with Friends! Connect with your River. Enjoy the peace of nature. And mark your calendar to join these upcoming paddle trip adventures! 

July 19: Black Pack Paddle Trip

August 2:  Summer Magic Paddle Trip presented by the Inkster Task Force

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. 

Enjoy a morning with the ladies! We’ll start out getting some fresh air while working in the gardens, then make bouquets from our beautiful flowers for you to take home! Enjoy some great company, fun conversation, and learn about native plants! No gardening experience required!

When: Saturday, July 19th, 9 am – 12 pm
Where: Plymouth Arts & Recreation Complex, 650 Church St, Plymouth, MI 48170

All ages and gardening experience are welcome!  It will be a wonderful way to start your weekend!

Your River adventure awaits! Mark your calendar for Tuesday, August 5th for the biennial, one-of-a-kind, riverboat adventure fundraiser – the Rouge Cruise! 

You are invited to support a cleaner hometown Rouge River as you experience it, first-hand, from the 3 story Diamond Belle Boat. Captain Sally Petrella, Watershed Ecologist and bug whisperer, will share history, fun-facts, and today’s river hot topics as she leads narration of the incredible made-in-Detroit sites along the route. 

Experience your hometown Rouge River. Support its better future. Tickets on sale now!

Interested in rain gardens but don’t know where to start? This workshop is for you! This free one-hour introductory workshop will teach you what a rain garden is and how you can build one in your yard!

When: Saturday, August 9th, 10-11 am

Where: Dearborn Performing Arts Center

Rain gardens reduce neighborhood flooding and basement backups, while adding beauty to your yard. Learn how you can protect your home and your Rouge River with a rain garden.

The summer Rouge River fish surveys have begun!  Your fish team has been out sampling, and were lucky enough to find the state endangered minnow, Redside Dace again on the Johnson Creek.  This is a species found in very few watersheds in the state, endangered in Michigan, and declining in the Rouge River watershed. Redside dace need very cold, clean water to survive.  

The fish sampling sites are chosen based on delisting criteria, habitat project sites, tracking the round goby migration, and tracking the endangered redside dace.  The fish surveys will continue throughout the summer, and we hope to have many more exciting discoveries!

Friends of the Rouge welcomes Marion Martyres to the team as Volunteer Coordinator. She grew up in Southeast Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Environmental Sciences. She most recently worked at River Raisin Institute, an environmental nonprofit in her hometown to support environmental education programs. Through that experience, Marion discovered a passion for working with the volunteers and wanted to continue supporting people as they become environmental stewards. The team is thrilled to welcome her as your newest Friend on staff!