Rouge Rundown – February 21, 2024 A New County Record | It’s Froggy Time | Stonefly Report | Job Opp | Spring Plants & More!
February 21, 2024 ROUGE RUNDOWN
Join the Frog & Toad “Patrol”: Sign up to Survey!
You are invited to take part in the annual Frog & Toad Survey! Volunteer surveyors are trained to listen for and distinguish the breeding calls of the seven frogs and one toad
found in your Rouge River Watershed. Surveyors choose a quarter square mile area within the watershed to survey independently or with a friend on warm spring nights starting in Spring. New and veteran surveyors are welcome to join the in-person training workshop March 2nd at the Livonia Civic Center. Please register for the event by February 26th.
Do you own a business, attend a house of worship, work for a non-profit or know of a community site that could benefit from a rain garden in Detroit, Dearborn or River Rouge? Applicants from zip codes 48217, 48120, 48126, and 48218 are encourage
to receive training, materials, and professional support to build a beautiful, large-scale rain garden with help from your community volunteers! Rain gardens are a great asset to any property. These gardens manage stormwater, provide habitat for butterflies, create a beautiful living ecosystem in your yard! Apply Today- deadline Feb. 29th.
Thank you to all of the volunteers who searched for Stoneflies last month. A report on the 2024 Rouge Stonefly Search is now available. Twenty-five sites were sampled by fourteen teams, with an additional nine sites sampled by the Wayne County Department of Public Services and Sue Thompson. Please check out the report, including a map that shows where stoneflies were caught, as well as salt and nitrate levels that were observed at the sites.
This data would not be possible without wonderful volunteers and supporters like you!
Do you have Spring fever? The Rouge Store is ready for you! Select and pre-order native plants, rain barrels, composters, and more for pick-up in May! SPRING into action now for garden products and services and do more for you, your yard, and your Rouge River in 2024!
FOTR members: don’t forget to use your discount code at checkout for 10% off! Not a member yet? Join today!
Not sure if you’re a member? Contact Lara – ledwards@therouge.org
Hey Friends, ever wonder what happens to the “bugs” that you collect at bug hunts? Well many specimens collected in 2023 were examined by FOTR partners at the Michigan Odonata Survey (MOS), Darrin O’Brien and Julie Craves. The goal of the MOS is to document all of the species of Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) in Michigan by county.
Of the species identified, two were 1st county records and one was a 2nd county record! The first county records were in Washtenaw and Wayne counties, bringing the total number of species in these counties to 120 and 92, respectively. Significant records include: Laura’s Clubtail (Stylurus laurae)
a State species of special concern, Arrowhead Spiketail (Cordulegaster obliqua) an uncommon species found in wooded, high quality streams, and Mocha Emerald (Somatochlora linearis) a 1st county record for Washtenaw County. Thank you bug hunters for your incredible finds!
April is Lawn and Garden Month, so start thinking about what you want your yard to look like this spring and how it can help your Rouge River and the local environment. Friends of the Rouge is happy to announce that we will be at the Novi Home and Garden Show at the Suburban Collection Showplace on
Friday, April 5th at 5pm at the Garden Stage to educate community members all about rain gardens!
Come learn all you need to know about managing stormwater on your property with the power of native plants.
Are you looking for a new position in 2024 and a way to make a real difference for a better world? Friends of the Rouge is hiring for: Landscape Architect . Click the button below – your new role awaits!
