Join the ever growing community of Master Rain Gardeners across Southeast Michigan! Protect your home against flooding and help birds, bees and butterflies with a RAIN garden! You’ll learn *everything* the instructors know about rain gardens. Registration is now open for winter 2024 virtual course beginning Jan 25th from 10am to noon. Sign up now for the early bird pricing.
Last week, Friends were monitoring for benthic macroinvertebrates in Birmingham when a sudden discharge of cloudy water into the river that smelled strongly of sewage was noticed. Staff took a photo and called the Environmental Planner with the Oakland County Water Resources Commission, Ron Fadoir. Ron investigated and tests for E. coli indicated a sanitary sewer discharge. This problem has been reported to the City of Birmingham. Friends, you are the caring eyes of this River, and your River needs every Friend it can get. If you notice something like this, please contact FOTR or local county or state officials.
Leave the leaves is a message about what you can do in your own yard to help out endangered pollinators and other beneficial insects over the winter. It’s so easy! You can help the good guys MORE this year by doing LESS work! Just leave the leaves right where they fall – especially in shrub and flower beds. A lot of beautiful and important living things spend their winter in and under the leaves. By letting them be, you can save the bees!
Thank you to the goblins and witches who joined the 2023 Friends of the Rouge Haunted Paddle Trip on the Lower Rouge River Water Trail! Over 40 paddlers participated in this special event that is one of the premier paddle trips of the season! Thank you to each of the partners, National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, University of Michigan Detroit Center, Downriver Delta CDC, Dearborn Parks & Recreation, and Motor City Canoe Rental Rouge River Outpost for helping with coordination of the haunted sets. This is the final trip of the year, but be on the lookout for the 2024 schedule of events.
Lanita’s Memorial Park Fall Event
Lanita’s Memorial Park is like no other – thanks to you, Friends! Friends of the Rouge and community partner organization, My Community Speaks, installed a one-of-a-kind bench in LaNita’s memorial park last week, capping off a multi-year project. Located at 5657 Hartford St. Detroit, LaNita’s Memorial Park is the vision of Carolynn Pruitt: A living memorial for her mother that creates habitat, manages street flooding, and creates a new community space. Visit My Community Speaks’ website to learn more about the project and to support the Park.
This fall was the first time FOTR has been able to offer a paddling trip to one of the Rouge Education Project schools! The class included 15 students from Clippert Multicultural Honors Academy in Detroit and their teacher Tracy Ortiz. This was made possible by your support, funding through the NOAA Great Lakes B-WET program, and FOTR’s growing Trails program.
Your Rain Garden Belongs Here!
Do you have a rain garden, rain barrel, or pollinator garden in your yard? Are you interested in seeing what green solutions your neighbors have created? It’s time to visit the MAP!
Explore the new
Rainscaping in Southeast Michigan map to discover where rain gardens and other green solutions are in your neighborhood. Then, put YOUR “dot” on the map as you join the green solution crowd.
