Invasive species are choking one of Florida's last crystal-clear spring-fed rivers. You can help stop it. Join the effort to physically remove the damage and bring the Rainbow River back to life.
Decades of nutrient runoff and invasive hydrilla have smothered the Rainbow River's ecosystem. Native plants, manatees, and entire habitats are disappearing. If nothing changes, this irreplaceable waterway will be lost on our watch.
Rainbow River — Dunnellon, FL
In 2009, Art Jones stood at the edge of a polluted Florida spring and decided to do the only thing that made sense — start removing the problem by hand. That single decision sparked a movement. Today, people like you are turning that act into a full-scale river restoration.
One person. One rake. Art Jones starts pulling invasive plants from Hunter Springs Park with his bare hands after Red Tide devastates Florida's coast.
The community answers the call. Kings Bay Rotary Club joins the effort, turning a solo mission into a coalition of volunteers.
The movement becomes official. One Rake at a Time incorporates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, giving the community a permanent vehicle for change.
After years of fighting for permits, the final approval arrives. Professional divers enter the Rainbow River in April 2026 — the most ambitious restoration phase yet.
The wildlife that calls this river home is counting on us.
Chemicals didn't work. Hoping the problem would fix itself didn't work. What works is physically pulling invasive species out of the water — backed by science, executed by professionals, funded by people who refuse to watch this river die.
17+
Years of restoration
Since 2009
2
Florida rivers restored
Kings Bay & Rainbow River
$22M+
Conservation funding secured
Legislative grants
Working with Sea & Shoreline, a licensed restoration firm, our team maps the most degraded sections of the riverbed and deploys professional dive teams with specialized suction equipment.
Certified divers physically extract hydrilla, algae mats, and accumulated muck from the riverbed using hydraulic vacuum systems — protecting native plants while eliminating what is killing the ecosystem.
Removed material is piped to land-based processing areas. Organic debris is filtered out. Clean water flows directly back into the river — a closed-loop system with zero waste discharge.
Once the invasive hydrilla is gone, native aquatic plants recolonize on their own. Manatees, fish, and turtles return to habitat that had been choked out for decades. The river heals itself.
Restoration is not a one-time event. Each season of diver operations, equipment maintenance, and scientific monitoring depends on funding from people who believe this river is worth saving.
Divers are in the water right now. The river is already responding. Your support determines how far this restoration goes.
Support the work
This is what we are fighting to protect.
Crystal-clear, spring-fed water. Native grasses. A living ecosystem that has existed for thousands of years.
Our team has already restored Kings Bay. We've secured over $22 million in conservation funding. We have the science, the permits, and the experience. What we need is you.
Founder
With a background spanning organic chemistry, mathematics, and agriculture — and a prior career as a financial consultant in New York City — Art moved to Florida in 2003. After witnessing the devastating impacts of Red Tide firsthand, he began restoration work at Hunter Springs Park in 2009. What started as one person with a rake became the foundation for a nonprofit.
Vice President
An art educator with a 38-year teaching career, Bonnie brings creative vision and community-building expertise to the organization. She created "Artie the Otter," the beloved mascot that has helped communicate the mission to younger audiences and helped establish the organization's identity in the broader community.
Outreach Coordinator
Joining the team in May 2025, Allison leads community engagement efforts, coordinates volunteer programs, and drives invasive species awareness campaigns. Her work builds the local network of residents, students, and businesses who support the Rainbow River restoration.
Project Manager
With over 25 years in environmental restoration, Dr. Sivilich leads the Rainbow River project from technical planning through execution. She secured more than $22 million in legislative conservation funding, navigated the permitting process to completion in December 2025, and coordinates the partnership with Sea & Shoreline for the diver-assisted restoration operations.
You don't have to watch from the sideline. Whether you show up on the riverbank, spread the word in your community, or simply refuse to let this river be forgotten — your action matters. Pick the role that fits your life.
Join cleanup crews on the Rainbow River. Work alongside professional dive teams during restoration events. This is the most direct way to leave a mark on this river's future.
Most people have no idea Florida's spring-fed rivers are disappearing. Bring awareness to your school, civic group, or neighborhood. We will give you the tools.
Attend a fundraiser. Come to a community meeting. Every person in the room sends a signal that this river matters. Momentum is built by presence.
Get restoration updates, volunteer calls, and progress reports delivered straight to your inbox. Knowing what is happening is the first step to doing something about it.
Hundreds of volunteers, the Kings Bay Rotary Club, local businesses, and the Dunnellon community have already joined this effort. The question is not whether the river can be saved — it is whether you will be part of the story.
Every dollar keeps divers in the water and wildlife coming home.
Right now, professional divers are actively restoring the Rainbow River. Every day of operations costs real money — equipment, fuel, dive teams, scientific monitoring. Your donation keeps them in the water and the restoration moving forward.
Donate at every.orgOne Rake at a Time is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. EIN: 47-4344063
Our Supporters
Every person listed here chose to act when it would have been easier to look away. The Kings Bay Rotary Club, Florida legislators, local businesses, and hundreds of individual donors made this possible.
What your donation supports
Keeps dive equipment maintained and ready for the next operation day
Trains one new volunteer to work alongside professional restoration crews
Funds a full day of diver-assisted removal — that is real riverbed cleared and restored
Every dollar directly funds active restoration. Nothing sits in overhead. The river gets it all.
