Transcript
What inspires you from WFSU Public Media? Here's this week's Voices That Inspire. My name is Kevin McGority. I'm director of the Tall Timbers Land Conservancy, which is a unit of a larger biological research station located here in Tallahassee, Florida. My background is historic preservation and American history. I have a degree in American history. I didn't want to teach, but I was afforded the opportunity of working with the Tallassee Preservation Board for about a decade. And one of our projects was to do a historic site survey of these great hunting plantations in Leon County. And I just fell in love with the land. The setting of these historic buildings was so important. And out of that, I met Kate Ireland in the Comerics and Tall Timbers, and when the opportunity afforded itself, back in 1994, I kind of jumped ship with the state and a lane green hired me, tremendous community leader. And it's just been a pleasure ride since then. Our focus is saving as much land as we can in an environmentally sensitive land in the Red Hills region, which is an area of about 400,000 acres between the Eau-Clochney and the Ascilo rivers from Thomasville down to Tallassee. I can tell you that closing on conservation easements, knowing that that land is going to be protected forever is such a rewarding experience. So it gives you more than you actually provide. So it's just been a blessing to be able to have work for 20-8 years for Tall Timbers. Without a doubt, my biggest inspiration is my six grandchildren and making sure they have a healthy future. Kevin McGority, thank you for having me today. I greatly appreciate it. You're listening to Voices That Inspire.