Fifty acres.

That’s the size of the plot of land where junior Cory Slater-Pike’s house sits.

“You can make as much noise as you want and it won’t disturb anybody,” Slater-Pike said. “You can shoot guns and ride dirt bikes… it is perfect for having huge bonfire parties and large family gatherings.”

About five minutes east of the high school right in front of the Timber Bend subdivision, the Slater-Pike property stretches a half-mile back and about a quarter-mile from side to side. His home, a ranch with maroon siding, is situated near the front of the property. Behind the house are countless trees, some cornfields, two streams—and otters.

True story: There are wild otters in Avon, and in fact the Slater-Pike property is a designated wildlife reserve to protect these creatures.

“There were endangered river otters that would swim in the river, and that caused it to be cut off, so no building on it,” Slater-Pike explained, adding: “About once a month, we (my family) will kill the coyotes that come onto the property to keep the otters safe.”

Slater-Pike moved there at the beginning of last school year, after his old house was robbed.

“Everything was gone, even the toilet, and the wires were ripped out of the wall, so we had to move,” he said.

The new living situation, Slater-Pike said, is definitely an upgrade.

“I consider myself lucky,” Slater-Pike said. “Everybody has their own space at my home, and we can always just go walk through the woods so we all don’t get mad at each other. It is also nice to help an endangered species. It feels really satisfying.”