October 4, 2023
ROUGE RUNDOWN

Lindbergh Elementary Garden Installation

Join Friends of the Rouge this Friday, October 6, to install a rain garden and two small habitat gardens at Lindbergh Elementary in Dearborn! You can volunteer from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm or 1 – 4 pm. Rain gardens play a key role in keeping your rivers and lakes clean. They capture and store rainwater, which reduces local flooding and water pollution. The three gardens will provide valuable habitat for birds and pollinators AND offer critical learning opportunities for students and the community! Spend a few hours with Friends on a beautiful autumn day and make rain garden magic grow!  

Hey Michiganders – Native Plants are Calling You!

Save the date for Saturday, October 7th from 10am to 1pm for your second annual Fall Native Plant Market hosted by Keep Growing Detroit. Pick up pre-ordered Designs by Nature native plant kits and/or shop same-day plants from local vendors at the event. Same-day plants are sold individually in different size containers. After you shop plants, you can check out the Dequindre Cut’s Harvest Festival for a full day of fun!

Dedicated Volunteers Attend Training: Could this be You?

Last Saturday, FOTR trained four new and two returning “Bug Hunt” team leaders. The Bug Hunt (benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring) program is successful thanks to Friends willing to elevate their volunteer commitment, undergo training, and lead a team on sampling days. These special volunteers learn new River sampling skills and take on a leadership role with the organization. The Fall Bug Hunt is set for Oct. 14 with an expected large volunteer crowd. Having enough team leaders is always a limiting factor. So if you are ready to elevate your volunteer experience and commitment – your Friends Team would love to have you onboard! Look for team leader training opportunities before every Bug Hunt. Thank you Friends and a special thank you to board member Sue Thompson (above middle, seated) for training assistance. 

Volunteer for Your Clean Water Future

Fall is here and the time is just right to build a clean water future! You are invited to tend baby trees and rain gardens for a better Rouge River and a better you! Click the link to below to make an impact.

Are Beavers the Missing Link?

Beavers are a keystone species, one that many other species rely on. They are ecosystem engineers that create wetlands that can reduce flooding and provide wildlife habitat. Missing from the Rouge River watershed since the fur trade, it is exciting to have a few return to the Rouge River. Only time will tell how well they will be able to adapt to the highly urbanized Rouge River watershed.

To learn more about beaver, click the link below to watch Great Lakes Now’s recent special: Beavers, Biodiversity and Climate Resilience in the Great Lakes with Watershed Ecologist Sally Petrella commenting on beaver in the heavily urbanized Rouge River.

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!

Visit 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. 

Merriman Hollow Native Pollinator Garden: Volunteer on Saturdays

On Saturdays during September and October, from 9 am to 12 pm, join the fun at Merriman Hollow. Experience the award-winning native demonstration garden – a feast for your senses – as you volunteer to keep this pollinator hot spot vibrant. Join the fun on Hines Drive at the Merriman entrance between Ann Arbor Trail and Warren (the same entrance used for the December Holiday light show).

Upcoming Events

Friends of the Rouge: Strategic Planning Request for Proposal

Sat., Oct. 14, 9am – 4pm

Fall Bug Hunt (event full, registration closed)

Sat. Oct. 21, 11am – 2pm 

LaNita’s Memorial Park Bench-building and Native Garden Spruce-up

Partner Events

Sun. Oct. 8, 2 – 3pm

Rouge Park Fish and Tree Walk

Sun. Oct 8, 11am – 3pm, Plymouth Township Park

Plymouth Fall Colors

Northville Parks & Recreation Master Plan Survey

Huron Pines AmeriCorps recruitment open for 2024 positions

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From Your Friend, Sally

Watershed Ecologist

A better River is made possible with thanks to these supporters and caring Friends like you