Each spring, for the past 30 years, Friends of the Rouge works with citizens, communities, and supporters across the Rouge River watershed to restore, clean, protect, and appreciate the river that sustains them...the Rouge.
As the successor to many clean up events that preceded it, Rouge Rescue honors and recognizes those whose early efforts to protect and restore the Rouge River were met with opposition and ignorance, yet who persisted determinedly. We proudly carry Trillium at Douglas Evans Nature Preserve in that torch through each decade, embracing Beverly Hills every opportunity to educate new generations about their impact on the river and teach them that they have the power to protect and care for this splendid resource for the benefit of generations to come.
The event would not be successful without you, the volunteers. We appreciate the hard work and dedication you have shown us over the past 30 years. As we celebrate our anniversary, we are thankful for you and the site coordinators who work so hard to make each site a successful event. It’s not easy coordinating a site and we appreciate Workers at Cass Benton were given photos to identify invasive plant species to be removed at their site. your continued efforts.
We also could not do this good work without the support of our corporate sponsors, many of whom also coordinated projects for their employees or sent a team to an existing work site. We are grateful for their support and contributions. Board member, Alice Bailey, brought her children out to plant a native garden in Northville.
Promoting restoration and stewardship of the Rouge River since 1986
In the spirit of our 30th Anniversary, Rouge Rescue brought loyal volunteers from across the watershed communities (over 1,100) who participated in river cleanup and stewardship activities at 27 work sites in 14 municipalities. Activities were scheduled on multiple dates. The main event was held on Saturday, May 21 with 18 sites. Four sites worked on May 7, 2 sites on May 14, 1 site on May 30 and 3 sites on June 4 . Volunteers working at Dynamite Park use the Woody Debris Management 101 - Clean and Open Method to manage log jams. Table 1: Site Participation by What were volunteers Activity working on? Activity # Sites This year, volunteers proved once again how valuable they are and their Invasive plant removal 17 efforts show. Trash, which accounted for most of the efforts of past Trash removal 13 Rouge Rescue events, has been less of a focus over the past number of years. Much of the event is now focused on river restoration activities Educational activities 8 such as: invasive plant removal, woody debris management, native Trail maintenance 7 planting installation, and stream Table 2: Quantity and Type of Items bank stabilization to improve Native plantings 6 Removed/Planted the health of the river. Family- Woody debris Item Qty 4 friendly sites featured, in management addition to clean up activities, Trash removed (cubic yards) 45 educational activities and nature appreciation walks. One site Tires 7 featured a Birds of Prey demonstration for their volunteers. See Table 1. Shopping carts 2
What work was accomplished? Furniture & appliances 1 A summary of the work completed during Rouge Rescue 2016 is Vehicles 0 provided in Table 2. Invasive plants removed (cubic 148 yards) Trash removal: Volunteers removed over 45 cubic yards of trash during Rouge Rescue 2016. The bulk of the trash reported was Native Plants plastic and glass. Large debris cleaned up by volunteers Flowers/grasses 1,715 included: a small plastic pool, a wagon, TV, a dresser, vacuum cleaners, traffic cones, buckets, furniture, clothing and homeless Trees/shrubs 29 encampments. *based on sites that submitted results
After 30 years of involving citizens with trash removal, we now see less dumping along the river. The river looks more attractive and has become a wonderful place to recreate close to home. Invasive removal: Seventeen sites removed invasive plants. Garlic mustard, dame’s rocket, honeysuckle and buckthorn were the most common species volunteers worked to control. Volunteers removed 148 cubic yards of invasive plant material from a combined area of 15 acres. Removing garlic mustard at Cass Benton’s Rouge Rescue site.
HONEYSUCKLE These volunteers at Rouge Park were so proud of what they accomplished at Rouge Rescue. Everyone can make an impact.
Friends of the Rouge is grateful for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding that has helped support Rouge Rescue invasive control efforts.
In addition to Rouge Rescue, FOTR worked with BUCKTHORN the Student Conservation Association to control invasive shrubs in Rouge Park in Detroit and Bell Creek Park in Redford as well as other projects in the Rouge watershed. The work is part of a larger project titled Collaborative GARLIC MUSTARD Invasive Species Control in the Rouge and Detroit River AOC’s awarded to Wayne County Deptartment of Public Services. To date, FOTR has removed8,176 cubic yards of invasive material from a combined area of 17 acres.
We are making progress. Rouge Rescue DAME’S ROCKET work sites that have been working to control invasive plant species for several years are reporting isolated occurrences and less dense populations of the species they have worked to control.
Why we plant native Michigan plants Plantings: Volunteers planted 1,715 native Polluted storm water and flashy flows are huge problems in the flowers and grasses and 29 trees and shrubs; Rouge River watershed. creating over 18,000+ ft² of deep-roots to Native plants help to reduce storm water runoff and enable infiltration deep in the ground due to the depth of their root systems soak up and infiltrate rain water. The types (sometimes as deep as 15’). There, water is cleaned and cooled as it of plantings installed or enhanced were: slowly seeps to the river. bioswales, native plant demonstration Surges in flow during rainy weather cause stream bank erosion and gardens, rain gardens, riparian buffers, clogs the water with silt and sediment, degrading the system and pollinator meadows, and tree plantings. harming fish and other life in the river.
Other: Volunteers maintained 2,500 lineal feet of trail. Eight log jams were cleaned and opened using the WDM 101 Clean and Open Method. Additional activities organized by work sites were: birdhouse building, storm drain stenciling, mercury thermometer exchange, benthic macroinvertebrate education, nature walks, and land-use education.
Woody debris management: Work to manage wood in the river has evolved over the past 30 years. Today we use a softer approach advocating for managing large wood in the river rather than completely removing it. Wood is excellent habitat in the stream and helps to slow the river’s flow. Work involves removing man-made trash ensnared in log jams and then strategically moving floatable brush and branches. Larger logs embedded in the bank are left in place. This allows for fish passage, while maintaining calm pools.
Wood provides important habitat and structure in the stream. Volunteers clean out a log jam of man-made debris at Hix Park.
Beverly Hills Detroit Plymouth 1. Douglas Evans Nature Preserve 10. Rouge Park 19. Woods Drive Area, Hines Park
Birmingham Farmington Hills Southfield 2. Linden Park 11. Heritage Park 20. Beech Woods Recreation Center 21. Berberian Woods Canton Township Livonia 22. Lawrence Tech 3. Flodin Park 13. Moelke Park 23. DENSO 4. Meadows of Canton Northville/Northville Twp Superior Township Dearborn 14. Bennett Arboretum 24. Kosch-Headwaters Preserve 5. Ford Field Gateway Trail 15. Allen Drive Park 6. Henry Ford Estate 16. Mill Race Village Wayne 7. Henry Ford College 17. Northville Community Park 25. Dynamite Park 8. University of Michigan-Dearborn Novi Westland Detroit 18. Rotary Park 12. Merriman Hollow 9. Eliza Howell Park 26. Hix Park
BEVERLY HILLS Project Summary: Removed invasive Meadows Of Canton plants and trash from Linden Park Location: 44955 Cherry Hill Road Douglas Evans Nature Preserve down the Rouge River Corridor Trail. Coordinated by: Kesh Raizada, Location: 31835 Evergreen Road Environmentalist Coordinated by: Erin Wilks, Planning & Highlights Sponsored by: Meadows of Canton, Zoning Administrator Number of Volunteers: 10 Wayne County, Canton Temple Sponsored by: The Village of Beverly Trash removal: 1 bag (lots of Project Date: 5/21/2016 Hills plastic) Project Date: 5/21/2016 Invasive removal: garlic mustard, Project Summary: Bug hunt, bird Project Summary: Removed garlic motherwort, dames rocket house building, storm drain stenciling, mustard and trash followed by a indoor presentation, river clean up, nature walk through the park with mercury thermometer exchange, plant identifications. educational displays
Highlights Highlights Number of Volunteers: 12 Number of Volunteers: 119 Trash removal: 1 bag (lots of Local Groups Participating: Cub plastic) Scouts Troops 1535 & 1830, Invasive removal: 17 bags (garlic Canton Temple, Canton Senior mustard) Group CANTON Trash removal: 5 bags (mostly plastic) Flodin Park
Location: 1150 S. Canton Center Road DEARBORN Coordinated by: Christie Jones, Administrative Coordinator Ford Field Gateway Trail Sponsored by: Wade Trim, Mannik Location: Ford Field-Dearborn and Smith, WOTA, Absopure, Coordinated by: Thomas Trimble Salvation Army Sponsored by: Christ Episcopal Church Project Date: 5/21/2016 - Dearborn Project Date: 5/21/2016 Project Summary: The Eagle Scouts Douglas Evans volunteer built a walking path around a retention pond. We had bird house building along with birds of prey BIRMINGHAM demonstrations.
Linden Park Highlights Location: The park at CSO Substation Number of Volunteers: 150 off of Shirley Road Local Groups Participating: Eagle Coordinated by: Connie Folk, Scouts Recreation Coordinator Trash removal: 30 bags Sponsored by: City of Birmingham Lending a hand at Henry Ford College Site Invasive removal: teasel and Project Date: 6/4/2016 thistle
Project Summary: Picked up trash University of Michigan - Dearborn around the Ford Field pond and along Location: 4901 Evergreen Road the Waterfall Loop Trail. Also opened Coordinated by: Michael Basner a log jam near the Military Street (FOTR), and Rick Simek (UMD-EIC) overpass. Garlic mustard was also Sponsored by: Friends of the Rouge, pulled around the Ford Field pond. Environmental Interpretive Center - University of Michigan Dearborn Highlights Project Date: 5/21/2016 Number of Volunteers: 12 Local Groups Participating: Northville Community Park native planting Project Summary: Re-mulched trail Dearborn High School National near the stone bridge, nature walk Honor Society, Servpro Dearborn/ view the river from the back lawn of with plant identification Dearborn Heights Trash removal: 15 bags (mostly the estate. plastic) Highlights Invasive removal: 6 bags (garlic Highlights Number of Volunteers: 10 mustard) Number of Volunteers: 26 Local Groups Participating: "Jo DETROIT Brighton" students Eliza Howell Park Invasive removal: 78 bags (garlic Location: Eliza Howell Park mustard) Coordinated by: Larry Quarles,
President Henry Ford College Sponsored by: Friends of Eliza Howell Location: 5101 Evergreen Road Park Coordinated by: Sam Greco, Physical Project Date: 5/14/2016 Plant Engineer
Sponsored by: Henry Ford College Highlights Areas around the Henry Ford Estate in Project Date: 5/21/2016 Number of Volunteers: 5 Dearborn were cleared of garlic mustard, a particularly difficult invasive to control. Project Summary: Removed garlic Henry Ford Estate mustard, buckthorn, honeysuckle and Location: 1 Fair Lane Drive trash from pathway in areas below Coordinated by: Karen Marzonie, bridge. Maintained trail up to the Director of Landscapes Kingfisher overlook deck area. Sponsored by: Henry Ford Estate Fair Lane Highlights Project Date: 5/14/2016 Number of Volunteers: 22 Local Groups Participating: Henry Project Summary: Volunteers pulled Ford College Workers at Eliza Howell Park in Detroit garlic mustard from Trail Gardens Trash removal: (plastics bags, removing trash from a trail. plastic bottles and paper) Woods and entry areas to the Henry Invasive removal: garlic mustard, Ford Estate. Afterwards, Karen buckthorn, and honeysuckle Marzonie took the group on a tour to
Rouge Park FARMINGTON HILLS total of 570 native plants. We Location: 22000 Joy Road removed approximately 1 acre of Heritage Park Coordinated by: Sally Petrella, invasive garlic mustard. We cleaned Location: 24915 Farmington Road President up garbage and did woody debris Coordinated by: Ashlie Smith, Nature Sponsored by: Friends of Rouge Park, management along the Rouge River. Center Supervisor Friends of the Rouge, City of Sponsored by: City of Farmington Hills Detroit Project Date: 5/21/2016 Project Date: 5/21/2016
Project Summary: Volunteers participated in a variety of activities, including a native planting area, invasive species removal and an educational program about our watershed using the Enviroscape. Henry Ford College volunteers getting Highlights Instructions before they head out. Number of Volunteers: 83
Local Groups Participating: Junior Highlights Optimists Club, Master Gardeners, Number of Volunteers: 50 National Honors Society Local Groups Participating: Invasive removal: 50 bags Community Emergency Response (buckthorn and garlic mustard) Team, Tegrit Technology, Boy Other activities: Bioswale and Invasive Species Removal at Rouge Park Native Plant Demonstration Scouts Pack 1731 Garden Trash removal: 45 (3 tires, 2 Project Summary: Focused on trash shopping carts, 1 wagon) removal as well as garlic mustard, Invasive removal: garlic mustard honeysuckle, and buckthorn removal. NORTHVILLE Highlights Bennett Arboretum Number of Volunteers: 200 Location: Near 17943 Northville Road Local Groups Participating: Detroit Aeromodelers, Buffalo Coordinated by: Grace Modes, Aisin Northville Native Planting Soldiers Heritage Association, Legislative Aide Quicken Loans, Well-Able Sponsored by: Wayne County Wellness Walkers, Parkside LIVONIA Commissioner Terry Marecki Church of Christ Moelke Park Project Date: 5/7/2016 Trash removal: 102 bags (plastics, Location: 19444 Lathers tv, dresser, vacuum cleaners, Coordinated by: Diane Manderaglia Project Summary: Event focused on traffic cones, buckets, furniture Sponsored by: City of Livonia ridding the Cass Benton area of and clothing) Project Date: 5/21/2016 invasive plant species (primarily garlic Invasive removal: 70 bags (garlic mustard, common periwinkle and mustard, buckthorn, and Project Summary: Planted 15 common buckthorn). Trash clean up honeysuckle) different varieties of native plant also occurred throughout the park.
species, 38 plants of each variety for a
Highlights Allen Drive Park Invasive removal: 22 bags (garlic Number of Volunteers: 41 Location: 1056 Allen Drive mustard) Local Groups Participating: Coordinated by: Callista Milroy Other activities: Rain Garden National Honor Society of Sponsored by: Friends of the Rouge planting Stevenson and Northville High Project Date: 5/21/2016 Schools, Boy Scouts, church groups, Master Gardeners Project Summary: 56 bags of garlic Trash removal: 2 bags mustard pulled, 14 native tree species Invasive removal: 60 bags planted, 3 bags of garbage removed, (common buckthorn, garlic woody debris removed by city. mustard and common periwinkle) Educated participants about poison ivy and invasive plant species.
Highlights Number of Volunteers: 47 Local Groups Participating: Girl Scout Troup 40533 and neighbors Trash removal: 3 bags Invasive removal: 56 bags (garlic mustard) Cleaning and Opening Log Jams in 14 trees planted Dynamite Park
Dynamite Park volunteer examining Mill Race Historical Village Northville Community Park a toad. Location: 215 N. Griswold Ave. Location: 5 Mile Road between Coordinated by: Edward Gabrys, Luci Sheldon and Beck NOVI Klinkhamer, and Juliana Cerra Coordinated by: Jill Rickard and Cyndi Rotary Park Sponsored by: Northville Historical Ross Location: 22220 Roethel Drive Society Sponsored by: AISIN Associates, Coordinated by: Wendy DuVall, Project Date: 5/30/2016 Friends of the Rouge, Northville Recreation Coordinator Township Sponsored by: City of Novi, Corrigan, Project Summary: Volunteers pulled Project Date: 6/4/2016 Home Depot, Rotary Club agricultural weeds, installed (10) 10' Project Date: 5/21/2016 coir logs on channel, filled low areas Project Summary: Volunteers planted with compost/field stones, planted a rain garden in a highly visible area in Project Summary: Removed weeds, bank with native species and mulched. the park. Volunteers also removed invasive bush, and garlic mustard. garlic mustard from Coldwater Springs Trash pick up, trail clearing/ Highlights Linear Park. maintenance and playground Number of Volunteers: 12 mulching. Local Groups Participating: Boy Highlights
Scout Troops 755 and 45, Friends Number of Volunteers: 30 Highlights of the Rouge, National Honor Local Groups Participating: AISIN Number of Volunteers: 47 Society associates, Northville Township Local Groups Participating: Home Other activities: Native Buffer residents, Friends of the Rouge Depot, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Zone planting
Sustainable Novi, Huron River Beech Woods Recreation Center Michigan Land Conservancy, Novi Watershed Council Location: 22200 Beech Road Junior Girl Scout Troop 41201 Trash removal: 6 bags (plastic Coordinated by: Brandy Siedlaczek, Invasive removal: buckthorn and bottles, cans and bags) Storm Water Manager garlic mustard Invasive removal: garlic mustard Sponsored by: City of Southfield Other activities: Pollinator Other activities: Bioswale Project Date: 5/21/2016 Meadow maintenance
SOUTHFIELD Project Summary: Woody Debris WAYNE Management Berberian Woods Dynamite Park
Location: Berberian Woods at the end Location: Josephine Street Highlights of Streamwood Lane Coordinated by: Kurt Kuban and Matt Number of Volunteers: 24 Coordinated by: Gail Barber, Mulholland, River Restorations, Local Groups Participating: Volunteer Inc. Korean Presbyterian Church Sponsored by: City of Southfield Sponsored by: City of Wayne, Wayne Other activities: 2 logjams opened Project Date: 5/21/2016 Rotary, River Restorations, Inc. Project Date: 5/21/2016 Project Summary: Pulled 21 bags of invasive species including garlic Project Summary: Opened up 6 log mustard and dame's rocket. jams, trail maintenance in order to open all trails in Dynamite Park, re- Highlights mulched/weeded native plant beds, Number of Volunteers: 11 cleaned up homeless camps in the Invasive removal: 28 bags (dame's Pollinator Meadow planting at Kosch park. rocket and garlic mustard) Headwaters Preserve Highlights Number of Volunteers: 35
DENSO Local Groups Participating: SUPERIOR TOWNSHIP Location: 24777 Denso Drive Wayne DPW staff, Wayne Rotary Coordinated by: Melissa Smith, DENSO Kosch-Headwaters Preserve Trash removal: 25 bags (mostly and Brandy Siedlaczek, City of Location: 3268 N. Prospect Road bottles and plastic, cans and a few Southfield Coordinated by: Carla Bisaro tires) Sponsored by: DENSO International Sponsored by: Superior Township Other activities: 2,500 lineal feet America, Inc., City of Southfield Charter, SMLC, Washtenaw of trail maintenance Project Date: 6/4/2016 County Parks Project Date: 5/21/2016 Project Summary: Planted native gardens, removed invasive plant Project Summary: garlic mustard and species. buckthorn removal and maintenance of pollinator meadow planting. Highlights Number of Volunteers: 60 Highlights Local Groups Participating: Number of Volunteers: 24 DENSO International employees Local Groups Participating: Honeysuckle Removal in Hix Park Invasive removal: 40 bags (garlic Superior Township, Southeast mustard)
WESTLAND
Hix Park SAVE Location: Hix Park-City of Westland Coordinated by: Bill Craig, President Sponsored by: Holliday Nature Preserve Association, City of Westland THE Project Date: 5/7/2016
Project Summary: Cleaned and opened one logjam, creek trash collection, floodplain trash collection, DATE invasive plant removal.
Highlights Number of Volunteers: 31 Local Groups Participating: Friends of the Rouge, Holliday Nature Preserve Association Trash removal: 20 bags (plastic and glass bottles, paper products, Styrofoam and misc. metal products) Invasive removal: buckthorn and honeysuckle
Friends of the Rouge Merriman Hollow Location: Hines Drive at Merriman Road Friends of the Rouge is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that Coordinated by: Jenny Petoskey, Citizen began in 1986 to raise awareness about the need to clean up one Sponsored by: Friends of the Rouge, supported by of the nation’s most polluted rivers. The organization provides Wayne County Parks opportunities for residents to participate in cleanups, stream and Project Date: 5/21/2016 wetland monitoring, restoration projects, and recreational activities like canoeing and kayaking. Through these experiences,
participants get to know and love their local river, work to directly Project Summary: Installed a native garden with a path. improve it, and develop an understanding of the complex issues Removed trash and invasive species. inherent in cleaning up an urban river.
Highlights Mission: To promote restoration and stewardship of the Rouge Number of Volunteers: 40 River ecosystem through education, citizen involvement, and Local Groups Participating: Cub Scout Pack 270, other collaborative efforts, for the purpose of improving the Boy Scout Troop 782, Michaels Green Club quality of life for the people, plants and animals of the watershed. Trash removal: 7 bags (plastics and debris) Invasive removal: garlic mustard Rouge River Watershed Facts
Drains 467 square miles of land in the counties of Oakland, Wayne and Washtenaw in southeast Michigan.
Contains over 400 lakes, impoundments, and ponds and 126 miles of major stream.
Inhabited by 1.35 million people.
More than 50% of the land is urbanized.
Promoting restoration and stewardship of the Rouge River since 1986
4901 Evergreen Road - KM | Dearborn, MI 48128 | www.therouge.org