Real science that’s fun for all ages!

Join a small team of your friends, family, and other interesting volunteers. Collect samples of bugs and other creatures that live in our streams. These insects tell us how healthy the river system is, where the healthier areas are, and where we need to focus our restoration efforts.

Volunteers meet in Ann Arbor* and then trained volunteer leaders take you to two stream sites. At these sites, you help search through stones, leaves, and sediment to find the insects in their homes.  Only trained volunteers go in the water.  Dress to be in the field for a couple hours.  Children are welcome to attend with an adult. You must register early to be assigned to a team.

WHERE Meet at the HRWC office* in Ann Arbor (1100 N Main Street). Then carpool to two streams in Livingston, Oakland, Wayne and/or Washtenaw Counties.
WHEN: The next River Roundup event will be in the Spring 2022.

To get email announcements of future events, fill out our Volunteer Signup form here. Thanks!

Check out our training video that we made for our Fall 2021 Roundup since we did not do an indoor training due to COVID:

Please email questions about this event to Jason at jfrenzel@hrwc.org

Here’s a video about the event that talks about “how and why” we collect bugs every year. You can also check out our Program page for more information.

PHOTOS and STORY: Get a sense of what this event is like from a HRWC volunteer here.

Thanks so much for sending information about the River Roundup to us. I took my 3 kids this past Saturday to participate in this and we also invited a friend. The kids had a blast. The highlight was finding a water scorpion. My 9 year old son said at the end of the day that it was one of the best days of his life–and I’m telling you this is high praise from him because he had to practically be dragged out the door to go in the first place.