LEWES, Del.- It sounds like a superhero group- but with local, environmental ties.
The Delaware Habitat Guardians is a group of neighbors in Lewes that has formed to preserve a 6.7 acre forest off of Route 24.
The organization is looking to raise enough money to buy the land and turn it over to the Sussex County Land Trust. The land is owned by private citizens, who have the land on sale for $1.35 million. The Guardians fear that if they do not purchase the land, a developer will buy it instead.
"Once this is gone, it'll take 100 years to get this back, if ever," said Judy Rose Seibert, vice president of the group. "And there's so many things in here, like if we get fireflies here, they're coming from these woods."
Seibert added that the forest is home to trees that are at least one hundred years old, American Holly Trees- which is Delaware's state tree- and a bald eagle's nest.
President Melanie Bernstein says the fight for this forest is a fight for the future.
"I was able to share my love of nature and wildlife with my children, who also did many of the same things," she said. "It's just unimaginable to me that a future could have generations not being able to enjoy wildlife, not in its natural habitat, and enjoy just walking around a forest."
The group has raised over $225,000 so far through fundraising and GoFundMe, which can be found here.
You can also find the Guardians' website here.