Winter Fishtrap: The Meaning of Refuge

Published 8:27 pm Friday, January 25, 2019

Winter Fishtrap builds momentum in its second year since the hit program’s reboot in 2018. On the weekend of January 18-20, more than 70 participants convened at Wallowa County’s Josephy Center for Arts and Culture for the three day event including the editor-in-chief of High Country News Brian Calvert and a host of its staff.

Visitors from nine western states, including New Mexico and Montana, came together to explore the timely but challenging topic of “The Meaning of Refuge” in the spirit of Fishtrap’s longstanding mission to “promote clear thinking and good writing in and about the west.”

Through a series of panel discussions, break-out sessions, and lectures, participants delved into the difficult questions surrounding “The Meaning of Refuge” as it relates to the every day lives of individuals and communities. Winter Fishtrap emphasizes the “clear thinking” aspect of its mission, tackling some of the most pressing and timely issues facing the West.