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Parks in Partnership: Detroit Riverfront Conservancy

9.30.2026

By Holly Siefert, Park Interpreter, and Erin Parker, Interpretive Services Supervisor

With a grand opening taking place in October of 2025, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park on the riverfront in Detroit is a vibrant asset to the communities of southeastern Michigan. From playgrounds to water features to the Metroparks’ 14th park, the Water Garden at Ralph C. Wilson, there is truly something for everyone to do, see, explore, and enjoy.

Field trips for kids and adults

An educational partnership between the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and the Huron-Clinton Metroparks allowed for creative and collaborative programming conducted by staff from both agencies through 2026.

Two schools participated in a pilot project focused on water quality in the Detroit River corridor in the spring. Staff first worked with the students in their classrooms at Garden City Middle School and University High School (Ferndale), to help them understand what water quality might measure and how it might be important to humans and wildlife. Students tested their school water quality as practice for spring field experiences.

A juvenile sturgeon named Washago traveled with the Metroparks’ staff to the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park to help students and the public engage with clean water, the restoration of the Detroit River, and connect to the wildlife that calls Detroit home.

Next, students headed out into the field to conduct water quality tests (focused on pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, phosphate, and chloride) as well as explore macroinvertebrate diversity, bioswales and green infrastructure, and how landscapes might impact water quality. Participants from both schools visited Lake St. Clair Metropark, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., Centennial Park, and Lake Erie Metropark following the Detroit River along its length. After completing their field trips and data collection, students from both schools worked in small groups to develop and present posters on their experiences, which they shared with staff, teachers, and administrators during Science Symposiums held at both schools.

Microscopes were set up to help participants in the Wayne County Conservation Stewards Program, run by Michigan State Cooperative Extension and a variety of local partners, to explore the water quality at the Riverfront in September of 2026.

Additional collaborative field trips for students at John R. King Performing Arts Academy in Detroit and the Wayne County Conservation Stewards program for adults also took place, expanding the reach of both the Metroparks and the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. These field trips were designed to showcase the newly opened park to a variety of people from throughout southeast Michigan.

Science Saturdays

Summertime provided another opportunity for learning together in the new space! Science Saturdays was a monthly program that took place on the second Saturday of the month in June, July, and August. Each month had a different theme, with visitors experiencing activities connected to the animals represented on the play structure at the park. June was all about beavers, and visitors touched beaver fur, attempted to build their own beaver lodges, and took home beaver pins. July focused on the largemouth bass, and visitors viewed live minnows, created Japanese fish printing art, and took home a largemouth bass puppet. August was about the red fox, and visitors touched fox fur, played a hearing guessing game, and took home a fox plush. This programming was set up just outside the Huron Clinton Metroparks Water Garden and the Ralph C Wilson playscape. Over the 3 different programs, 485 visitors interacted with the program. Many visitors came to enjoy the park and were pleasantly surprised to see and participate in this programming.

Even though school was out for the summer, learning and fun continued at the Riverfront with the launch of “Science Saturdays” that connected park visitors to the wildlife of the area through hands-on activities, crafts, and more each month.

Events and activities

Metroparks’ staff also continued to support a variety of activities and events at the riverfront.

From fishing tournaments in the spring to the upcoming Detroit Harvest Fest taking place the first weekend in October, the Metroparks’ team showed up to help connect visitors to the riverfront through hands-on learning, crafts, and activities.

Over the summer, the  Metroparks sponsored the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy’s Movies in the Park program and as a part of that sponsorship offered pop-up programming before the movie. The program was a 6-week series with different movies each week. The Metroparks programming would always tie into the theme of the movie. For example, with Jurassic Park, visitors learned about and created their own fossils and with Goat, participated in animal Olympics challenges. Along with participating in Metroparks activities there were multiple food vendors available for visitors to visit before enjoying the movie with the backdrop of the Canadian skyline.

The six-week Movies in the Park series had something for everyone throughout July and into August of 2026. Each movie had thematic activities and crafts supported by the Metroparks before the movie launched.

This October, don’t miss the Detroit Harvest Fest, taking place October 3 and 4 from 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. both days. With music, vendors, food trucks, trick-or-treating, and a variety of activities to keep everyone busy- don’t forget to stop by the various Metroparks’ stations and say hello!

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