Released by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission …
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) named Stephen Parris of Bay County the 2018 Volunteer Hunter Safety Instructor of the Year at its July Commission meeting in Stuart. The award recognizes a volunteer who significantly advances the cause of safe hunting through extraordinary service in training and education.
Parris has been volunteering to teach the state’s hunter safety course since 2012. As an area coordinator, he and his team were recognized as the state’s “Best Teaching Team” in 2017. And in 2018, he taught 14 classes and was key to certifying 228 students.
“Stephen truly embodies the hunter safety volunteer spirit and always steps up and is available to teach classes outside of his county to help further the outreach of the program,” said Jeff Schumacher, FWC’s northwest regional hunter safety coordinator. “His dedication to the cause is a key reason why Stephen is always one of the top performers in the state.”
In addition to teaching the FWC’s hunter safety course, Parris, an Army veteran and avid outdoorsman, looks for opportunities to broaden the program’s reach. He has partnered with the local Girl Scout regional group and has started a Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) team at the Bay County Shooting Range. YHEC events provide opportunities for hunter safety graduates aged 18 and younger to expand their knowledge of safety and conservation while building outdoor skills.
Because Parris received the award, he is now in the running and representing Florida for the national title “International Hunter Education Association’s Instructor of the Year.”
Anyone interested in learning how to become a volunteer hunter safety instructor can go to MyFWC.com/HunterSafety and select “Volunteer.”
Successful completion of a hunter safety course is required for anyone born after May 31, 1975, who wishes to obtain a Florida hunting license to hunt unsupervised. For more information, visit MyFWC.com/HunterSafety.