California –-(Ammoland.com)- The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has named Livermore resident Lorrie Ambrosino as the 2013 Hunter Education Instructor (HEI) of the Year.
For more than 16 years, Ambrosino has taught the principles of conservation, ethics and firearms safety to hundreds of students, enabling them to obtain hunting licenses in California.
“California is especially fortunate to have Lorrie in the hunter education program, as she exemplifies our mission: ‘Passing on the Tradition Through Education’,” said Capt. Roy Griffith, CDFW Hunter Education Program Manager. “She has not only educated hundreds of students, but has also mentored future hunter education instructors.”
In addition to the hundreds of hours of instructing for CDFW, Ambrosino also serves as the vice-president of the Livermore-Pleasanton Rod & Gun Club and operates the club’s hunter education program.
“I try to impress upon our students how important good wildlife management and conservation are to California, as well as how critical it is to preserve our hunting heritage,” said Ambrosino. “It’s the hunters and hunting organizations that do much of the groundwork for conservation of California’s wildlife.”
The state of California requires all first-time resident hunters, regardless of age, to complete hunter education training or pass a comprehensive equivalency test before purchasing a hunting license. In 2013, more than 850 volunteer HEIs taught the course in California, which was taken by 31,000 students. California has seen a dramatic reduction in hunting related firearms accidents since starting the program in the 1950s.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer Hunter Education Instructor or taking a Hunter Education course can find more information at https://www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/.