| In This Issue: - Alex Jefferson Statue Recovered
- Rouge Park's 100th Anniversary Approaches!
- Buffalo Soldiers & Blues Freedom Arts Festival - Oct. 5
- Rouge Park Fish & Tree Walk - Oct.6
- Rouge Park Halloween Movie Night - Oct. 26
- October Stewardship Update and November Opportunities
- Calendar of Events
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The Friends of Rouge Park Mission: To protect, restore, and promote a natural, environmentally healthy, and culturally vibrant Rouge Park that engages the community for the benefit and enjoyment of all. We can't do it without your support! |
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Already a member? Click here to Renew your membership. |
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Alex Jefferson Statue Recovered |
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On Wednesday, October 23, park goers were horrified to find the beautiful bronze sculpture of Tuskegee Airmen pilot, war hero, teacher and model airplane flyer Alex Jefferson gone from Jefferson Field. The sculpture, created by local artist Austen Brantley, was sawed off at the ankles, leaving a disturbing scene in the park. The Detroit Police Department responded immediately, contacting anyone who might have witnessed the theft and scouring camera footage from nearby security cameras. The investigation led to a rental truck with a GPS which then led them to a yard in Southwest Detroit where the culprits were caught in the act of cutting it up for scrap. The statue has been recovered, two people are in custody, and the artist is working to rebuild the statue so it can go back to its rightful home in Rouge Park's Jefferson Field. We look forward to the restoration of the statue, a symbol of pride in our history and a celebration of a leader who challenged racial barriers as a U.S. pilot and as a teacher and vice principal in Detroit Public Schools. In the words of Jefferson's granddaughter, "We will not allow this incident to diminish the pride we feel in our shared heritage" (Michigan Chronicle). |
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Rouge Park to Turn 100 Years Old Next Year
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On May 24, 1924, the City of Detroit completed its final purchase of farmland in Dearborn and Redford Townships to completely assemble the land for Rouge Park. And on April 6, 1925, Detroiters voted to annex the property officially making it Detroit's, and Michigan's, largest city park. Next year, we will be celebrating Rouge Park's 100th birthday all year long, including a major weekend long event at the end of June. If you are as excited as we are in planning this celebration, please consider joining our Centennial Planning Committee. Email us at [email protected]. |
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Buffalo Soldiers & Blues Freedom Arts Festival - October 5
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On Saturday, October 5th, we hosted our third annual Freedom Arts Festival, bringing back the Buffalo Soldiers and Blues theme that attracted so many people last year. It was one of nine festivals held at Detroit Parks to highlight freedom, racial justice, history, and connection to place through arts and culture supported by the Detroit Parks Coalition. The festival connected and reconnected people to Rouge Park with a black cowboy theme that highlighted the history of the all black U.S. Army units called "Buffalo Soldiers" that patrolled and helped build our national parks. Blue was the traditional color of the Buffalo Soldiers uniforms, making blues the perfect music for the event. The Buffalo Soldiers also served in the Phillipines, making Phillipino lumpia the perfect food. Attendees enjoyed a day filled with fun and community spirit, coming dressed in their best western wear, and children and adults alike had a blast donning free cowboy hats and mustaches, adding a playful touch to the festivities and a nod to the recent breakthrough of black country singers. Free horse rides and barn tours offered a unique glimpse into the Buffalo Soldier history while Marichona's Cuisine treated everyone to delicious complimentary lumpia and refreshments. Entertainment was provided by Big Pete and his band, who, after a delayed start due to some issues with the stage, kept the energy high and the crowd dancing. We expanded the vendors this year to include several local artists and more community groups. Community engagement was strong, with organizations such as Playworks Michigan engaging kids in free play, Black to the Land giving attendees a chance to learn about traditional skills like deer skinning, Detroit Edison Library, Planet Detroit, DWSD and other local agencies setting up tables alongside District 7's Councilman Fred Durhal, all contributing to a vibrant atmosphere.
The strong turnout and enthusiasm from the community left everyone looking forward to next year’s festival! |
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Scout Hollow Fish & Tree Walk - October 6th
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Led by knowledgeable guides Don Drife and Bob Muller, 17 participants enjoyed the beauty of the Scout Hollow Nature Trail while exploring this diverse ecosystem along the Rouge River, learning about the various tree, woody plant and fish species that call the area home. The hike passed through an area highlighting the great progress that Friends of Rouge Park volunteers have made in the past year removing honeysuckle, buckthorn, bittersweet and other non-native invasive plants, leaving the native trees and plants to thrive once again.
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Rouge Park Movie Night - October 6
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Rouge Park's Halloween Movie Night on Saturday, October 26th, brought some spooky fun to the chilly evening! Despite the brisk weather, participants gathered to enjoy a screening of the animated favorite Monster House. Attendees cozied up with popcorn, candy, and refreshments, creating a festive atmosphere perfect for the season. With the success of this event, Rouge Park looks forward to hosting more movie nights in the future, promising even more opportunities for community fun and engagement. Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate Halloween with us! |
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October Stewardship Update -Antonio Cosme, Land Stewardship Manager
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The fall colors are on and popping… the peak for Southeast Michigan has already passed… but plenty of trees are still hanging on and dazzling us with their colors. During the summer nearly all plants have green leaves resulting from a chemical, chlorophyll, which is responsible for photosynthesis. It absorbs sunlight, transforming carbon dioxide from the air and water from the ground into carbohydrates, such as sugars and starches that feed the plant. In autumn, changes in the length of daylight and temperature triggers the chlorophyll to stop producing, ultimately breaking down as the tree sends that summer energy into the trunk and roots. This allows the other leaf constituents to show. Carotenoids are in most photosynthetic organisms, helping protect the plant from the sun and aiding in harvesting light. Their concentration gives leaves yellow and orange colors.
Anthocyanins are cell pigments that influence the way in which plants respond to stress and once the chlorophyll breaks down, this pigment allows plants to show a red, purple and even blueish color.
You can use fall colors to help identify trees like sugar maple and sassafras trees that have a brilliant transition from green to yellow, then orange into red. Beech, aspens, and ginkgo trees have beautiful golden yellow colors. White oaks produce yellows and even dusty red colors. Hickories transition from a showy yellow to brown. One other awesome thing about fall: invasive trees don’t change color as quickly as many are native to harsher climates of Eurasia. Take a drive around Rouge Park and most of the green understory is entirely invasive species.
We have been working with youth from the Detroit Zoo Conservation Student internship Program over four weekends to introduce them to forest stewardship. They have been learning how to identify trees and manage invasive plants through a variety of means from manual extraction (the hard, organic way), cut-stump treatment using herbicides, and looking at the brush-hogging that the Metroparks has done throughout the Prairie. Each method has its own weaknesses and virtues, but the teens have been hiking and working around the park to experience this stewardship work from the inside! We hosted more than 8 work days in October.
In November we are working hard to get as much done as we can before the ground freezes. On Nov. 10 please join us for a Veteran's Day trail work day with The Mission Continues, a veteran volunteer group. If you want to learn how to prune a cherry tree and help us prune the new orchard so they will bear cherries, join us on Sat. Nov. 16. For more info and registration for stewardship events, sign up here.
Friends of Rouge Park is excited to have been selected for the Michigan Justice40 Accelerator Program from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. We will be receiving technical assistance to redevelop and expand the Rouge Park Stewards program with the goal of applying for a federal grant to support a regular program to employ people in natural areas management work. Rouge Park Stewards are super volunteers; helping lead other volunteers, learning more about stewardship, getting acquainted with our tools, and even taking on their own projects in the park. You can sign up to be a steward here.
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Click here to see their November events. Edison Branch is now open on Saturdays but closed on Fridays. Hours: Mon. & Wed. 12-8pm, Tues., Thurs., & Sat. 10am-6pm |
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Upcoming Events in Rouge Park |
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Saturday, Nov. 9, 10:00am-2:00pm
Veteran's Day Trail Work Day with the Mission Continues
Brennan Recreation Area Splash Pad Shelter
Join veterans with the Mission Continues to improve the Scout Hollow Trail. Meet at the picnic shelter by the Splash Pad at Brennan Recreation Area.
Register
Sunday, Nov. 10, 12:00-4:00 pm
Mountain Bike Ramble
Rouge MTB Trailhead
Youth oriented day for beginner and intermediate riders to try out three courses. Bikes, helmets and snacks provided.
Registration Full Friday Nov. 16, 2-4 pm
Cherry Tree Pruning Workshop
Rouge Park Cherry Orchard Learn how to prune cherry trees to improve fruit and help us prune our new orchard. Tools provided.
Register
Saturday Nov. 22, 2-9 pm
Queer Work Day Happy Your & Buckthorn Bonfire
Joe Prance Recreation Area Help clear invasive plants along the trail with Queer Hiking, Xerces Society and Queer & Trans Birding.
Register
Tuesday December 17 at 6pm
Membership Meeting and Holiday Party
Starter's Bar and Grill
Join FORP to celebrate the year
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