Paul Tritaik

Paul was born in Columbus, Georgia in 1960 and grew up in an Army family moving to Kentucky, Virginia, The Netherlands, Connecticut, and Ohio before settling in Maryland. Paul graduated from the University of Maryland in 1982 with a BS in Conservation & Resource Development- Fish and Wildlife Management.

Paul’s career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) began at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in MD in 1982. In 1989, he moved to Okefenokee NWR in Folkston, Georgia to serve as an Outdoor Recreation Planner and helped establish their friends group, the Okefenokee Wildlife League. In 1991, he transferred to Bond Swamp NWR in Macon, Georgia to serve as the 1st Refuge Manager of the new satellite refuge of Piedmont NWR.

In 1993, Paul was hired as only the 2nd onsite Refuge Manager of Pelican Island NWR and the 1st for Archie Carr NWR, both as satellites of Merritt Island NWR at the time. Paul lived on the historic Paul Kroegel Homestead and helped create a friends group for each refuge, the Pelican Island Conservation Society and the Friends of the Carr Refuge. With increased support, Paul successfully led the restoration of an eroding Pelican Island proper, acquired over 300 acres at Pelican Island and over 250 acres at Archie Carr, created the popular Centennial Trail and hosted the local celebration of the Refuge System Centennial in 2003.

In 2008, Paul moved to Sanibel, Florida to serve as the Project Leader of the J.N. “Ding” Darling NWR Complex, including Caloosahatchee NWR, Pine Island NWR, Matlacha Pass NWR, and Island Bay NWR. Paul worked with the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society and other partners to acquire over 170 acres, restore over 200 acres of habitat, and add the Wildlife Education Boardwalk and other improvements.

Paul retired from the FWS in 2020 and started Tritaik Consulting to provide environmental consulting services. In addition to the NWRA, Paul also serves on the board or other leadership roles with the FWS History Committee, FWS Retirees Association, Pelican Island Conservation Society, Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates, Friends of the Carr Refuge, Sanibel Captiva Audubon Society, the Rotary Club of Sanibel-Captiva, and Scouting America Troop 1740.