ENGLEWOOD, Fla. — A nonprofit is working to save a piece of undeveloped land in an Englewood neighborhood that is home to a rich variety of wildlife, including one species that is threatened.
The Environmental Conservancy of North Port is trying to raise $15,000 to purchase the quarter-acre plot of land on Clearwater Street. So far, it has raised $7,976, according to a Facebook post from the group.
WATCH: FOX 4's Hunter Walterman speaks with North Port Conservancy's president about the group's mission:
Barbara Lockhart, the group's president, said neighbors have documented the presence of the Florida Scrub-Jay, a federally-designated threatened species. The nonprofit is looking to raise the money by Sept. 5, Lockhart said. It's a date agreed to by the property's owner and the Conservancy.
"We're not against development. Obviously we all live in houses too....," Lockhart said "So we're not trying to say development is wrong - we're just trying to say that we can have a little bit of both."
Charlotte County designated the area as a Scrub-Jay habitat, Lockhart said. The group also documented the presence of the Northern Bobwhite Quail, Gopher Tortoise, annual-nesting Screech Owls, and Bobcats, among others. The Bobwhite Quail has experienced serious decline, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
If successful in purchasing the property, the conservancy plans to preserve the land and remove invasive species. The group has bought almost 50 plots of land in neighborhoods around Charlotte and Sarasota counties, Lockhart said.
"What we're trying to do is save some nature in neighborhoods," Lockhart said.
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