Rouge Rundown - July 26, 2023 - Fish Finds | Rouge Cruise Tickets | Teacher Training and More!
Rouge Rundown – July 26, 2023 – Fish Finds | Rouge Cruise Tickets | Teacher Training and More!
July 26, 2023 ROUGE RUNDOWN
The Rain Garden Ripple Effect
The University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, in partnership with Friends of the Rouge, is hosting a free public event to inform the community about threats to water quality and actions individuals can take to reduce these threats. The first session will be an informational presentation about rain gardens. Participants in the afternoon workshop will be provided with more in-depth information about rain garden design, site selection, costs and installation overview. Lunch is included. Please register today as space is limited.
New Date! Friends of the Rouge and Outdoor Afro Upcoming Paddle Trip!
Join Friends of the Rouge and Outdoor Afro for an unforgettable paddle trip on the Rouge River! The new trip date is August 13 from 9:30am – 12:30pm at the Morton-Taylor Trailhead in Canton. Motor City Canoe and Kayak will provide livery and shuttle services. If you are bringing your own boat, there is a $10 shuttle fee. It is $40 to rent a kayak or canoe.
You are invited to join with Friends of the Rouge tending trees and rain gardens for the better of the Rouge River, the world, and you! Click the link to below to join a volunteer experience that makes an impact.
Teachers: Your Professional Development Continues Here!
Ready to get your students involved in river education and streamside water testing? Friends of the Rouge’s Rouge Education Project is offering four days of workshops for educators this August 4-9. Use the link below for more information and to register. These trainings are also open to volunteers who want to help schools with this project. Deadline to register is July 30.
Experience a guided paddle trip on the Lower Rouge Water Trail in Inkster! (route TBD) Friends of the Rouge will also offer free demo paddle trips from Colonial Park to Inkster Park. Space is limited. You must register to participate! The first 25 Inkster residents paddle the guided tour for free.
Set sail with Friends for the 2023 Rouge Cruise on Thursday, August 10th from 6:00-8:30 PM. Tickets are selling out. Don’t miss out on this one-of-a-kind evening along the Rouge River as you support a better future.
This summer the Monitoring Team sampled for fish at twenty one sites over twelve sampling days. Friends of the Rouge began collecting data on Rouge River Fish in 2012 thanks to Bob Muller who initiated this work through a college internship. Bob’s lifetime experience of collecting and raising native fish makes him the best fish expert anyone could ask for! Members of your all-star fish monitoring team include Phil Kukulski, Bill Eisenman, and Jerrad Jankowski. All of whom have contributed to a better understanding of the fish communities in your watershed.
This year 4,019 fish were collected and identified! That brings the total number sampled and identified over the years by Friends to 71,173!! The five most common fishes are: Fathead minnow, Johnny Darter, Round Goby, Creek Chub, and Common Shiner. The following is a list of species that we have only caught a single individual: American Brook Lamprey, Striped Shiner, Channel Catfish, Threespine Stickleback, White Perch, and Freshwater Drum. To learn more about the Rouge River fish community, check out Bob’s book, The Fish Community of the Rouge River: Metro Detroit’s Urban River which can be purchased at the Friends of the Rouge office for $20.
