Wildfowl conservationist leaves a legacy

Published 9:00 pm Saturday, April 2, 2005

From New Jersey to Alaska’s North Slope, Paul Dye flew to far-flung places in his effort to save endangered birds and protect their environment.

But Dye’s lifelong conservation legacy is grounded closer to home, at the wildlife sanctuary he created near Lake Stevens called the Northwest Wildfowl Farm.

Paul Dye spent much of his life helping save threatened bird species, including breeding wild birds at Northwest Wildfowl Farm.

Paul G. Dye died Wednesday, leaving behind his wife, Lynn. He was 68.

Dye met his future wife in 1989 while both were vacationing in the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean. They were married in 1992. Together, they spent the years raising waterfowl, running Lynn Dye’s business, Marysville Travel, traveling to Australia, Africa, the Arctic and the Amazon, and remodeling their lodge-style home to better host waterfowl breeders and conservationists from around the world.

Paul Dye was born March 25, 1937, in Marietta, Ohio, but spent most of his younger years in New Jersey. By age 12, he had already started raising waterfowl. When he left home to serve in the Marine Corps from 1956 to 1958, his mother and sisters stepped in to mind his flock of ducks.

After moving to the Pacific Northwest, Dye purchased part of a wetland near Lake Cassidy and served as its unpaid manager.

Today at Northwest Wildfowl Farm, there are 32 ponds, 8 acres of grain fields, four miles of trails, a salmon stream and forestry improvements for grouse and other woodland species. Nesting sites have been installed for wood ducks, flying squirrels, bats, chickadees and flickers.

Dye’s mentor in the waterfowl breeding world was Charles Pilling of Seattle. From Pilling, Dye learned new techniques to breed birds that had never before been bred in captivity, such as the spectacled eider. His work to save this endangered species resulted in invitations to participate in a captive breeding program on Alaska’s North Slope. Wild eider eggs were transported to Dye’s farm, where incubation, hatching and rearing took place to augment the wild population.

His wildlife sanctuary also welcomed thousands of visitors. Tour groups have included the Pilchuck Audubon Society, the Washington Ornamental and Game Bird Breeders, and the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Developmentally disabled youths have fished in the ponds. Dye erected an enclosed and heated wildlife observation blind and an observation tower for visitors. Plans were being finalized to host researchers from nearby universities in facilities recently constructed on the site.

Dye was an active member in the Snohomish Wetlands Alliance, Washington Duck Hunters, Ducks Unlimited, Washington Ornamental and Game Bird Breeders, the International Wild Waterfowl Association and the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. He was an integral part of the citizen campaign that led to the county’s parks department acquiring 1,000 acres of wetland wildlife habitat to establish Spencer Island Park.

In addition to his wife, Dye is survived by sisters Ruth, Stephie, Joan, Ann and Claire, and hundreds of friends around the world.

Services are planned for 1 p.m. Tuesday at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Everett, 2617 Cedar St. Donations in lieu of flowers are requested to be made to Northwest Wildfowl Farm, 10114 54th Place NE, Everett, 98205. Funds will go toward defraying the costs of maintaining the sanctuary.