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.
Volunteer at a Tree Planting!
As the transformative project at Fort Street Bridge Park continues, Friends of the Rouge has been working on creating the green landscape that will help beautify the park and provide habitat for local species. On Friday, May 8th, from 10 AM to 1 PM, you are invited to join your Friends at Fort Street Bridge Park to complete the initial tree and shrub plantings for this project.
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 instructions will be provided! Click the button to register today!
Spring Sale Spectacular
Come one, come all to the FOTR 2025 Spring Sale Spectacular! Pick up your pre-ordered rain barrels and native plants. Missed the pre-sale? You can join the fun at the “same-day sale” for plant art, individual plants, trees, shrubs, and more on Saturday, May 16th at the Ford Field Park is located at 22051 Cherry Hill St, Dearborn, MI 48124 near the South Shelter!
Pick up plant plugs, quarts and 1-3 gallon pots of unique, native flowers, grasses and shrubs perfect for your yard. Plant experts will be on-hand to answer any of your questions!
Paddle with Friends!
Join your Friends on Saturday May 16th at 9am for a paddle with the LGBTQ+ Outdoors of Michigan. We will be paddling downstream from the Dearborn Hills Golf Course to Ford Field Park in Dearborn. LGBTQ+ Outdoors is a national nonprofit dedicated to connecting the LGBTQIA+ community with nature through inclusive outdoor events. This group welcomes all and encourages respect for each other’s pronouns and identities.
Boat Rental fee is $50, including the canoe or kayak, personal flotation device, paddles, and shuttle service. There is a $15 service fee for paddlers bringing their own boat. All fees due in advance.
Detroit Stormwater Specialist Training®
Are you looking for an opportunity to get a job working outdoors? If so, this class is for you – NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE NEEDED!
The Detroit Storm Water Specialist Training (SWST) Program is a job skills training program designed to provide YOU with pathways toward living wage employment. This job is perfect for those who enjoy working outdoors and want to learn how landscaping features designed can help protect the Rouge River, Detroit River, and Lake Erie. The 8-week, 16-class course will teach you how to weed native gardens, plant identification techniques, photo monitoring, soil identification, observing and correcting erosion and sediment issues, transplanting and thinning plants.
Dates: May 19th- July 9th
Days: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9 AM- Noon
RainSmart Rebates
Do you live in Southeast Oakland County and want to add a rain garden, trees, or rain barrels to your property? Oakland County’s RainSmart Rebates program is now accepting applications! This program is geared towards homeowners in Oakland County and aims to promote environmental stewardship by helping residents manage stormwater. Through this program, homeowners can receive a one-time rebate of up to $2,000 for installing green stormwater infrastructure on their property.
A Natural Phenomenon
After a long, cold winter when temperatures change quickly, a phenomenon known as a winterkill can leave hundreds of dead fish. The majority of fish killed are American gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), a species native to Lake Erie but at the northern end of their range. Unable to survive temperatures below 37 ℉ and very sensitive to temperature fluctuations, they undergo cycles of population growth and shrinkage.
While the sight and smell of many dead fish are disturbing, die-offs that do not affect other species and sizes of fish are not pollution-related. In any situation where there are many dead fish that do not match the description of a winterkill, reports can be made to the state Pollution Emergency Alert System (PEAS) hotline at (800-292-4706).
Rain Gardens 101
Looking to learn about the basics of installing a rain garden?
There will be two Rain Gardens 101 workshops coming up in the next few months at Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn, MI. One will be on June 20th and the other on July 18th, both from 11 am – 12 pm. These presentations are free and open to the public. Register for either one below!
Rouge River Supporters
A better River is made possible thanks to these
supporters and in thanks to caring Friends like you
Upcoming Events
Thursday, May 7 and Friday, May 8 at 10 AM: Fort Street Bridge Park Tree Planting
Saturday, May 9 at 10 AM: Henry Ford Centennial Library Spruce-Up
Saturday, May 9 at 9 AM: Spring Birding Paddle
Saturday, May 16 at 9 AM: Pride Paddle
Saturday, May 16 from 10 AM – 1 PM: Spring Sale Spectacular
Tuesday May 19: Detroit Stormwater Specialist Training Begins
Saturday May 30 at 10 AM: Claude Allison Rain Garden Spruce-Up
Partner Events
May 1-May 31: Detroit Bird Alliance: The Great Detroit Bird Off!
May 9: Friends of Detroit River: Ecorse Creek Cleanup
May 16: Friends of Rouge Park: Rouge Park Appreciation Day
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.