They spent two decades loving and nurturing their north Florida woodland property into a nature sanctuary for wildlife and for themselves. Now, they want nothing more than to eventually give it all away.
By Lisa W. Foderaro
Published March 4, 2026
Kaye and Tom Fearneyhough have spent the better part of 20 years coaxing natural beauty on their property outside Tallahassee, Florida. They’ve left most of the 50 acres untouched, including a dense woodland filled with sand pines, sweetgums, and live oaks. But they planted a 5-acre wildlife field with oats, clover, and wheat to attract deer, turkey, rabbits, and other animals. Hundreds of sago palms that they planted now line a 4,000-foot dirt road that meanders through the land. Day lilies and amaryllis, which Kaye hybridizes herself, fill garden beds, along with hibiscus, camellias, and night-blooming cactus.
Originally, the couple bought the property as a weekend getaway (their primary home is 100 miles to the north in Georgia). But as time went on, that flipped, and the two found themselves drawn increasingly to their oasis in northern Florida. “The reason we love this part of the world is that it’s still so natural,” said Tom, a retired radiologist. “There is not a lot of development, but there are a lot of critters—and we like to be among them.”
Indeed, a beloved ritual for the couple is sitting in the early evening by the field and seeing what shows up. “We’ve had river otters come through, and we had a feral peacock,” Kaye noted. “He stayed around a month and a half at the corn feeder we have out. There are lots of birds too. We have swallowtail kites that nest, and wood ducks and egrets.”
“The other thing is this gives us a common thread. It’s our common goal together. It’s something we can talk about, plan about, enjoy together. I’m not off playing golf and she’s not at the pickleball court. This is our thing.”
Now in their 70s, and with no children, the Fearneyhoughs started to think about what would become of the property in the future. “Since we have no real heirs, we decided to pass it on and leave something behind,” Tom said. “When we bought the property, it was pretty much solid woods. So much of our blood, sweat, and tears are in this place. All the improvements have cost money and time, and we’re proud of it.”
Their estate planning attorney suggested they reach out to Trust for Public Land, which has an office in Florida. What started as a plan to leave the 50 acres for conservation—perhaps as a natural area with walking paths open to the public—grew into a bigger vision.
As the Fearneyhoughs became familiar with TPL’s conservation work in the state, they entrusted TPL not only with the land but considerable financial assets as well. Their commitment grew from $5million to more than $8 million. The idea is that TPL will maintain the property and also expand it by trying to acquire land from neighboring property owners. (One adjacent parcel measures 800 acres.) Whatever is left of the money will go toward the protection of additional open space in the Florida Big Bend region.
Both Tom and Kaye grew up middle class in Texas. They credit their good fortune to hard work and his unexpectedly lucrative field. “I didn’t go into radiology for the money necessarily,” he explained. “I went into it for the lifestyle, which is a predictable 8-to-5 schedule. But the digital revolution happened, and the demand for imaging just exploded. We were investing easily half of my income at times. I joke that the only advantage to getting old is compound interest.”
The property the couple plan to leave for posterity helps them stay young. It also keeps them together. While Kaye is busy making cuttings and starting plants from seed in the greenhouse, Tom likes to play “junior farmer,” as he puts it, using a tractor to mow and plow the fields. There’s also a vegetable garden that they tend together. “This place is our hamster wheel,” Tom quips. “Or our gym membership,” Kaye adds.
“It keeps us upright,” Tom said more seriously. “If you retire, you need to find something that gets you out of a chair. The other thing is this gives us a common thread. It’s our common goal together. It’s something we can talk about, plan about, enjoy together. I’m not off playing golf and she’s not at the pickleball court. This is our thing.”
The idea that others will someday enjoy the splendor of Kaye’s lilies or admire a flock of swallowtail kites adds meaning to their lives here and now. “When you get to this age, you start to see what’s important and what you want to leave for future generations,” Tom added. “We feel like we owe a debt to the society that raised us, educated us, and gave us all these opportunities. We want to pay it forward.”
