Friends of the Rouge

1.the Rouge education project (rep) is a 36-year-old nationally recognized model water quality monitoring program that engages thousands of students each year in hands-on science education and provides meaningful service-learning opportunities for students to get further involved with stewarding their hometown river. 2.watershed monitoring engages hundreds of volunteers in immersive science education while they observe, listen, and study benthic macroinvertebrates (aquatic insects), frogs and toads, fish populations and habitat throughout the watershed. Local residents become citizen scientists and collect critical data that fotr provides to a variety of organizations and agencies about the health of the river over time. 3.river restoration work across the watershed includes riparian corridor and storm water management training for residents and municipal employees as well as hands-on implementation and green infrastructure installation such as rain gardens. 4.the expanding trails program aims to develop a 29-mile water trail along the lower and main stems of the Rouge river along with paralleled greenway (bike/walk trails) access with shared trailheads. Universally accessible kayak launches create equitable access - especially in historically underserved, marginalized communities.

Rain barrel and native Michigan plant sales - for watershed residents to manage stormwater on their properties. Rain garden installations reduce rainwater runoff by providing temporary stormwater storage where it will be cleaned, cooled, infiltrated into the ground, and transpired by the native plants. Rain gardens help to mitigate the impact of flooding and the heat island effect. Many additional benefits result from the existence of rain gardens including habitat creation for insects and pollinators, community engagement, and improvements to quality of life for urban residents. the gardens also restore the connection between land and water. Rain barrels provide the same stormwater management benefits of rain gardens by collecting rainwater, keeping it out of the storm drains, and providing a source of water for flora and fauna.