Friends of the Rouge
650 Church Street Suite 209, Plymouth, MI 48170
EIN: 38-2672879
734-927-4900

Copyright 2025 Friends of the Rouge.

Volunteers (like you!) are the people who make it possible to restore and protect your Rouge River right here in southeast Michigan. No special skill or experience is required. See upcoming volunteer opportunities below, or explore further below for links to program pages to find out how you can join the effort to protect and restore the Rouge River. Friends of the Rouge is able to accomplish so much with the help of thousands of volunteers every year.  We offer both one day and long-term volunteer projects. Please use the links to learn more.

If you don’t see the volunteer opportunity you are looking for, check back in and find the opportunity that is just right for you!

Feb
22
  • Monitoring
  • 10:00am - 12:00pm
  • Livonia Public Libra...

Volunteers needed for the 2025 Frog & Toad Survey Are you ready to help your hometown Rouge River and the frogs […]

Apr
5
  • Monitoring
  • 9:00am - 1:00pm
  • Plymouth Township Pa...

If you have attended a Bug Hunt or Stonefly Search or have some experience with benthic macroinvertebrate sampling, take the next […]

Apr
12
  • Monitoring
  • 10:00am - 3:00pm
  • Plymouth Cultural Ce...

We need your eyes, hands, and boots on the ground! No prior experience is necessary, but PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Children […]

2025 PARC Rain Garden Events

Friends of the Rouge installed 23,000 sq ft of native gardens around the Plymouth Arts and Recreation Complex (PARC) to improve community water quality. Called rain gardens, these working gardens filter pollutants from rainwater to keep them out of our Rouge River Watershed. We can‘t maintain these beautiful native gardens without you, our wonderful community…

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Bug Hunt Events and Training

We need your eyes, hands, and boots on the ground! No prior experience is necessary, but PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Children eight and older are welcome when accompanied by a PARTICIPATING adult; groups limited to four people. We really value your participation. If you do sign up, your team will be counting on you to be…

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Rouge Frog & Toad Survey Training

Training is offered every spring for those who would like to commit to surveying wetlands twice a month March through July and record what species of frogs and toads are calling. Information and materials are provided at the annual trainings. 2025 Training Workshop Saturday February 22, 2025 – 10:00am – 12:00 pm Livonia Civic Center…

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Become a Community Scientist!

Our River Monitoring program engages residents to become community scientists, collecting data about the health of the watershed through biological indicator species (bugs, frogs, fish, etc.) that reflect the long-term health of the watershed. As water quality improves, bugs frogs and fish are returning.
Learn more.

Build a Better Future

You deserve a clean and healthy Rouge River for your loved ones to safely enjoy today and to leave to future generations. Show your commitment to restoring the Rouge River watershed ecosystem by becoming a member and friend today.


Volunteer

Volunteers (like you!) are the people who make it possible to restore and protect your Rouge River right here in southeast Michigan


Donate or Become a Member

Restore and protect the Rouge River ecosystem by becoming a member and friend today.


On Your Own

What you do in your yard can make a big difference to the health of the river and our whole ecosystem.