Events
Volunteer to study water bugs in Downriver creeks
Fall River Roundup: Saturday, October 3, 2026
There are two start times: 9 am and 10:30 am.
9:00 timeslots generally go further away (Downriver and Oakland County), 10:30 timeslots tend to stay closer to Ann Arbor and surrounding areas.
Registration is required to attend. Learn more and register at hrwc.org/volunteer/roundup.
Join a small team of your friends, family, and other volunteers to collect bugs from streams across the Huron River watershed and Downriver watersheds with the Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC).
Knowing the types of bugs that live in our streams helps us understand how healthy the river system is, which areas are healthiest, and where we need to focus our restoration efforts to improve water quality.
Meet your team at HRWC’s office in Ann Arbor for instructions and equipment pickup, then carpool to two sampling sites. At each site, you search through stones, leaves and sediment to find bugs in their natural habitat. All teams include experienced volunteers who have been trained in sample collection, and only trained volunteers go in the water. All team members should dress to be comfortable outside for a few hours.
Children are welcome to attend with an adult.
River Roundup is coordinated by the Huron River Watershed Council, and is supported by more than 45 communities in Wayne, Washtenaw, Livingston, and Oakland counties, including the Alliance of Downriver Watersheds. Results direct statewide, regional, and community water protection activities.
Learn about rain gardens with the Metroparks at Taylor Community Library on Novemeber 16, 2026
The Introduction to Rain Gardens program
Taylor Community Library | November 16, 2026 | 6pm
In this one-hour class you will learn about rain gardens and how you can solve local water problems by installing one. Throughout the class we will cover how a rain garden works and how it is different from other gardens. We will also go over the environmental benefits a rain garden provides, the beauty it can flaunt, and the maintenance that a rain garden needs to thrive.
Information on how to register will be shared here closer to the event.
Help Identify Solutions to Reduce Flooding in the Ecorse Creek Watershed
Friends of the Detroit River is encouraging residents to attend community meetings to help identify solutions to reduce flooding in the Ecorse Creek Watershed. Meetings are held virtually the third Thursday of every month at 3:30pm EST. Visit www.detroitriver.org/ecorse-creek for more information.
Ecorse Creek is a highly urbanized watershed that has experienced significant flooding for decades. Communities in the watershed include Allen Park, Dearborn Heights, Ecorse, Inkster, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, Westland, and Wyandotte. Gathering community feedback is a critical step to gauging the interest and potential for projects to reduce flooding and restore ecosystem function.
