The Indiana Division of the Izaak Walton League has honored local environmentalist Charlotte Read with its highest honor, the Ted Falls Memorial Environmentalist of the Year award.

Read was presented with the award at the IWL state convention and awards banquet held at the Miller Chapter in Portage.

The award announcement notes that Read received Indiana’s highest citizen award, the Sagamore of the Wabash, in 2003. She has been a strong and active advocate for the environment for nearly 60 years and serves as the IWL Division representative for the IWLA Great Lakes Committee.

She and her husband, Herb, were also honored with the national IWL Hall of Fame Award a number of years ago.

Charlotte served as the executive director of the Save the Dunes Council for 20 years and is a current member of the Indiana Hertiage Trust Project Committee. She attends numerous meetings to ensure that the voice of the IWL is heard. “Her peers in the other organizations have recognized her as one of, if not the most, knowledgeable advocates in the state,” says the IWL announcement.

Read and other award recipients were presented with a custom framed art print from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources by artist William Zimmerman depicting scenes of plant and animal life representative of each Indiana State Park.