Home Is Where the Heart Hikes:

The Shoggi-Boghi Wildlife Sanctuary, Oneonta, New York

Not many of us can say we have lived in the same place for more than 30 years. Even five years in a given place is a stretch for some. Countless things have caused this growing transience in our lives, and---whatever we may gain in variety of experience---we lose the chance to feel rooted to the rocks and trees, the sounds and smells of a given place. For those who stay put long enough to see more than a decade unfold in one place, though, the land itself becomes---as much as any human-made dwelling upon it---home.

So it is for Irwin Gooen, whose 87-acre property in Oneonta, New York, has been his home for 32 years, as well as a favorite place of peaceful recreation. Affectionately named the Shoggi-Boghi Wildlife Sanctuary---in honor of a fond childhood memory---the land stirs with all manner of wildlife, in turn, stirring the senses, and, no doubt, stirring many memories for its longtime resident. When friends come to visit Mr. Gooen, he shares what he considers the most important part of his home with them---the outdoors---by taking them on a hike. A meandering creek that crosses a road serves as a perfect starting point, he says, and he enjoys trekking the land and observing the birds and other wildlife. He has always posted the property against hunting, trapping, and off-road vehicles, but his signs make it clear that all others with peaceful intentions are welcome to enjoy hiking on the land.

In the marshland, ruffed grouses may be nesting. Woodcocks can be heard, and until recently, he heard the gentle calls of nesting whippoorwills on summer evenings, coming from a neighbor’s property. Wooded areas comprise the majority of the land, harboring white-tailed deer, red foxes, Virginia opossums, coyotes, wild turkeys, and barred owls. Mr. Gooen believes that porcupines may also live on or near the land, as he has seen one near a corner of the property. Red-tailed hawks are often seen circling above, and he spotted a red-tail nest a few years back. A great blue heron from down the road flies low over his property, perhaps hoping to discover small prey in or near the creek. When these close-up fly-bys coincide with visitors’ hikes, it can seem like a bit of choreographed excitement, he says, but they are just part of the natural flow of the habitat.

Mr. Gooen’s deep appreciation of the wildlife on his land runs deep, and he is likewise protective of the Oneonta community itself. He has long defended it against the push for development. Knowing that he won’t be around forever to protect his land and its wildlife, he sought permanent protection for both through the Wildlife Land Trust. The security of knowing that it is “locked in” as a protected sanctuary enables him to more freely enjoy the land and its wildlife---his true and permanent home---untroubled by fears for their future well-being.