Volunteers Needed for Rouge River Clean-Up

Friends of the Rouge, a non-profit dedicated to restoring the Rouge River in southeast Michigan, seeks volunteers for their 26^th annual Rouge Rescue event on Saturday, June 2^nd at 35 sites in 20 communities throughout Metro Detroit.  Times and activities vary by site.  A complete site list is posted at www.therouge.org.

A major pollution source in the Rouge comes from rainwater running directly into the river or piped in by storm drains.  This creates a heavy addition of water which blasts away stream banks and carries pollution or trash from roadways and buildings.  Rouge Rescue activities help to decrease the impact of storm events and improve water quality by stabilizing stream banks and installing native plants to filter out pollutants.

Rouge Rescue began as a trash clean-up, and evolved to include more restoration activities as conditions improved.  “People don’t realize the positive impact just one day of working along the river can have,” says Cyndi Ross, River Restoration Program Manager for Friends of the Rouge.  “It’s great to see residents take ownership of the river, it helps change the mindset that it’s someone else’s problem.  It’s also a great way to meet your neighbors and have fun!”

Each site includes one or a combination of activities: trash removal, planting native plants, log-jam opening, removing invasive plants, educational workshops and nature walks.

Volunteers should wear long pants and long sleeves to protect themselves from poison ivy.  Helpful items to bring: water, snacks, shoes or boots they don’t mind getting dirty, hat, sunscreen, bug spray and a change of clothes (just in case).  Gloves will be provided along with “Rouge Rescue ‘12” t-shirts as available.  Many of the sites are family-friendly.

Rouge Rescue worksites are organized by Friends of the Rouge community partners including municipalities, community groups, concerned residents, and companies.   The event is a great example of watershed-wide collaboration to clean up and restore the Rouge River for future generations to enjoy.  

The Friends have been working to clean and restore the Rouge River since 1986.  Their mission strives to educate, involve and collaborate with residents in order to improve the quality and appearance of the river through a variety of programs, including Rouge Rescue.