| Park Updates: Bombs, Birds and Buildings |
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On July 18, the Detroit Police Department shut down Lahser Road to detonate a bomb. FORP and the neighborhood associations were not made aware of this beforehand (as was our agreement with the bomb squad so that park goers and neighborhood residents are not caught off guard by explosions). Our police commissioner, Ricardo Moore, helped us to get back in touch with them to find out what happened. Commander Ian Severly will be attending our Sept. 16 Membership Meeting as well as the city's Chief Parks Planner Theresa McArleton. You may recall our work with the City to ensure that rare eastern meadowlarks can safely nest in the fields in and around Jefferson Field without threats from mowers. Just this month, we have confirmation of a young meadowlark successfully hatched from the field! The City has agreed to hold off on mowing the area until the end of the month so this little guy can have a chance to truly fly. Thank you, city, and thank you birder Brian Beauchene for alerting us about the issue and finding and sending the photo of the chick. As we reported to you in May, Councilman Durhal worked with us to allocate $775,000 to Rouge Park to cover park benches, renovation of the nursery building and demolition of the derelict Tireman comfort station. We recently met with the city who has decided to move forward on the comfort station demolition this year but hold off on the benches and building renovation as they begin Rouge Park’s first city-led Master Plan. We will keep you posted as to how you can be involved in developing this plan. Lastly, we have received word that the ground breaking for Rouge Park’s new Recreation Center will begin this fall, late September or early October!!!
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August Events in Rouge Park! |
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Children's Butterfly Walk-Aug.13 We had such a magical time at the Children’s Butterfly Walk. Kelly Konieczki from the Detroit Bird Alliance/Detroit Butterfly Nursery brought butterfly specimens and magnifying glasses to share with the children, taught us about butterfly life cycles and host plants and even dressed up like a butterfly to explain the anatomy of butterflies! She led the walk through a section of the Prairie Pathway and the children spotted many different butterfly species including the Monarch, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Pearl Crescent, Red-Spotted Purple and more! Not to mention, the kiddos were at the perfect height to spot spiders and other insects hiding in and under the leaves. To finish up the evening, Katie Klaver, the children’s librarian from the local Edison Branch Library read us two stories about butterflies and caterpillars and brought resources and coloring pages for the kids and families to take home. We look forward to hosting more children and youth focused nature programming next year! What a treat to share curiosity and joy in nature with children! Movie Night-Aug.16 For the second installment of our Family Movie Nights at Rouge Park Series, we watched the new Captain America: Brave New World at Cozy Corners in Rouge Park. We enjoyed the action-packed film with tasty popcorn and refreshments. Come through to the next movie night on September 6 - we’re moving it back to Sorensen Recreation Area where there is less car traffic and we’ll hear the movie better! Senior Picnic-Aug. 21 Thank you to everyone who came out to another successful Senior Picnic sponsored by the Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance and the Friends of Rouge Park. We listened to Motown and soul oldies, played bingo and built community on a beautiful Thursday afternoon. Chef Nezaa Bandele of Paradise Foods brought a lovely and nutritious lunch and gave a health talk about “Eating for Energy and Longevity”. Our reliable 6th Precinct NPO’s brought their trusty Bingo Machine and called out the numbers while 20 winners went home with gift cards to Meijer, Kabob Inn and Detroit’s Brew-ti-ful Coffee House! We love our Seniors! Pollinator Walk-Aug. 23 A big thank you to Stefanie Steele from the Xerces Society who led our first ever pollinator walk and tuned us in to the amazing and sometimes scary interactions that take place in our prairie flowers. From spiders, ambush bugs and praying mantises trying to eat the bees and butterflies to a caterpillar that tries to avoid predators by sticking petals to itself to resemble a flower, participants were amazed. Check out the photos here. |
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Bat Listening and Identification Friday, September 5, 8:00pm Lahser Marsh (map) Join Friends of Rouge Park and the Detroit Zoological Society for a special Bat Listening Adventure! Our walk leaders from the Detroit Zoological Society - Sierra McWilliams and Danna Guzman will teach us about the importance of bats and bring their special bat detector tools called Echo Meters! These Echo Meters will allow us to hear, identify and record the otherwise inaudible ultrasonic calls of the bats.
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Join Friends of Rouge Park on Saturday, September 6 from 8:30-10pm for a family friendly screening of Despicable Me 4! We will be meeting at Sorensen Recreation Area - the corner of Pierson And Spinoza Dr. and start the movie promptly at 8:30pm. Free popcorn! Just make sure to bring a chair or blanket to sit on for the outdoor screening. Parking is available on site. Hope to see you there!
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Buffalo Soldiers and Blues Freedom Festival Just North of the Buffalo Soldiers Horse Barn-8886 Lahser Rd. (map)
Saturday, September 13th, 1-5pm Come join us at the Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Association Barn for a day filled with music, delicious food, free horse rides, barn tours, and community. Immerse yourself in the rich history of the Buffalo Soldiers while enjoying live blues music from Detroit's favorite blues group - Big Pete & Friends! This event is a celebration of freedom, culture, and community, so bring your friends and family for a day you won't forget. Come ready to dance, mingle, eat, show off your costume, greet the horses and more! Let's honor the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers in style! This event is sponsored by the Detroit Parks Coalition and the Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance. |
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Fall Membership Meeting & Barbecue Tuesday, September 16 at 6:00pm Sorensen Recreation Area, Spinoza Dr. & Sawyer St. (map)
Join us for our Fall Membership Meeting & BBQ on Tuesday, Sept 16th at the Sorenson Recreation Area. We’ll catch up with members over a BBQ and share some highlights of the summer, park updates and what’s to come this fall. The City's Chief Parks Planner Theresa McArleton will be there to update us on park plans and Cmdr. Severly from the Metropolitan Division DPD will update us on the use of Rouge Park for police training and bomb disposal. |
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3rd Annual Mountain Bike Ramble Mountain Bike Trail - Tireman and Outer Drive (map) Saturday, October 11, 12pm-5pm Save the date for our third annual Mountain Bike Ramble - an opportunity to bike Rouge Park’s MTB trail and connect with biking coaches and enthusiasts! All ages and skill levels are welcome. Bikes will be provided and every biker goes home with a free helmet! More details and registration coming soon!
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Sunday Morning Yoga with Yoganic Flow Sundays, 9AM through Sept. 21 Brennan Recreation Area, next to the Pistons basketball courts (map) This Outdoor Hatha Yoga (traditional yoga) class is for all levels. No prior knowledge of yoga is required to participate. This relaxing class is appropriate for beginners as well as regular practitioners. Participants strengthen, calm and restore the mind and body with regular Hatha yoga practice.
- Yoga Mats Available on a first-come, first-serve basis - Completed Waiver required to participate. COMPLETE HERE - If rain is in the forecast, follow & check @YoganicFlow Instagram to learn if the class is cancelled due to weather. Class cancellations will ALWAYS be posted at least 1 hour before class is scheduled to start. |
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Join the Rouge Park Walking Club! Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:30-8PM Meets at the Driving Range (Plymouth & Burt) (map) With support from Detroit Parks Coalition and their partnership with Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, Rouge Park’s Walking Club is led by Donulae T. Knuckles, PhD, RN. “Nurse Knuckles” also sponsors the Well-Able Walkers & Movers & Shakers Walking Club. Free online registration on the DPC website. All participants will receive “I Walk Detroit’s Parks” T-shirts.
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August Stewardship Update |
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Lots of youth, Weekly Friday Workdays are Done This summer, three youth crews worked in Rouge Park: Youth Work, on restoring the Scout Hollow Trail; Green Door Initiative, on restoring the Ma'iingan Wildwood Trail; and Green Youth Corps, with 80 teens tending the pawpaw trees and exploring the prairie. We also launched our Lead Steward program, training volunteers to guide larger groups like Greening of Detroit and AmeriCorps. With summer winding down, weekly Friday workdays have ended, but weekday volunteer mornings are beginning. Join us to help care for Rouge Park! (read more here). Ecological Report: Goldenrods heals, prairies overrun by invasives need fire Goldenrod's brilliance marks summer’s end; feeding bees, butterflies, and birds while offering healing power to people. Yet invasives like porcelain berry and critters like spotted lantern fly, lured here by the invasive and alluring tree of heaven, threaten our prairies and forests. While some might contest the word "invasive,” these aggressive newcomers take up too much space. And our ability to control them by hand is limited. Right relations with nature require human participation. Fire is a powerful tool to restore balance. let’s work together to heal Rouge Park’s ecosystems. Systemic use of fire can help manage these ecosystems. (read more here). Sept 10, 9am-12pm Corporate workday @ Tireman Ave & Spinoza Dr. Sept 17, 5-9pm Sunset workday at Mountain Bike Trailhead followed by Night Moth activity Sept 25 9-12pm Corporate Workday @ Tireman Ave & Spinoza Dr. Sept 26 5-7:30pm Sugarbush Buckthorn Bonfire @ Outer Drive, South of Tireman Ave. |
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The Rouge Park Recreation Center 1925-1984 |
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Affectionately known as "the White House", the Rouge Park Recreation Center was a hub of activity in the park for nearly 60 years. Originally built as a country estate by Charles E. Sorensen, Henry Ford's right hand man and chief developer of the first assembly line, it was converted into a recreation center after being purchased by the city in 1924. It served as a military recreation center during WWII when a thousand soldiers were living in the military police barracks and Camp River Rouge Park north of Joy Rd. Learn more about the fascinating history of Rouge Parks first recreation center here. |
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In honor of the centennial anniversary of Rouge Park, we've dedicated a page on our website to recognize our generous donors who have contributed $100 or more to support the Centennial Celebration. Their contributions help commemorate this milestone year and ensure the continued preservation of our beautiful park. Donations will be accepted throughout the year, and all donors will be acknowledged on this page as a heartfelt THANK YOU for their commitment to Rouge Park. |
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Citizen Forester Internship Available The Greening of Detroit has an opening for a Citizen Forester Internship from Sept. 1 - Dec. 1. See details here. |
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Click here to see the Edison Branch's September 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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We would LOVE your help in supporting the future of Rouge Park! |
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