“Places come to exist in our imaginations because of stories, and so do we. When we reach for a ‘sense of place,’ we posit an intimate relationship to a set of stories connected to a particular location... Having ‘a sense of self’ means possessing a set of stories about who we are and with whom and why.”
William Kittredge

Sense of Place Consulting helps organizations and the public find meaningful connections between people and place, so that both people and places can thrive. Download a brochure.

Erica Wheeler is a visitor experience specialist, speaker, educator and award-winning songwriter. Her Soulful Stewardship Method approach provides a framework for finding personal stories and connections to place. Her proven tools and techniques can be applied to your personal or professional work. Learn more about her philosophy and approach.

Find your sense of place stories.
Boost creative thinking.
Gain fresh tools & techniques.
Uncover authentic ways you can make a difference.

 

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Staff Training

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Empower your Staff

Proven tools and techniques that help both new and long-term staff gain a fresh approach to interpretation, program design, audience engagement and team-building. Helps to provide the best visitor experiences possible.

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 Keynotes

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Inspire your Attendees

An unforgettable journey across the American landscape and the lives lived there through story, song, reflection, humor and conversation that evokes personal stories, inspires ideas and recharges passion for connecting people and place.

Nurture the Next Generation

Cultivate leaders through integrative learning. Helps to   bridge academic knowledge with personal experience, empower creativity, and find a sense of place and belonging, no matter where they are.

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Community

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Engage your Community

Sense of place performances, workshops and tours, customized to engage youth, families and adults. Help people to enjoy and appreciate places more, discover their personal stories and find their own authentic ways to make a difference.

“ “Erica creates a kind of alchemy in the room where even the most timid of us is inspired to find the writer within. She gave us new tools and reminded me of tools I once knew and had long forgotten. She inspired me to get back to an interpretive project I had put aside which I am now working on with renewed enthusiasm and focus.””
— — Julia Clebsch, Interpretive Naturalist, Brooklyn, NY
  • “ If anyone can rally the preservation troops to get ‘a sense-of-place’ off the endangered species list, it’s Erica Wheeler. ”
    — Giulietta "Julie" Nardone, Workshop Participant, Upton Forest State Park, MA
  • “ With its emphasis on integrating writing, music, and a sense of place, Erica's workshop was incredibly inspiring... [She] gave us all an invaluable opportunity to reflect on our connections to the land, our personal history, and our best selves. ”
    — Walter Poleman, Faculty Director, University of Vermont, VT
  • “ Erica’s work writing and singing about how people connect to places encourages us to move beyond technical solutions and perspectives, and to re-connect with the natural world in a way that acknowledges nature as a source of something more than a set resources for human use, but as a pathway for understanding and comprehending our life and life experiences. ”
    — Torrey McMillan, Director, Center for Sustainability at Hathaway Brown School, Shaker Heights, OH
  • “ Erica has an impressive versatility. Her warm personality and knowledge of her subject matter gave our students a gift: she empowered them to express themselves and connect to the land in a way many of them had never experienced before. ”
    — Margot Martin, Journeys School, (K-12) Jackson, WY
  • “ Erica has an amazing knack for bringing out the creativity in people. ”
    — Montana Historical Society, Helena, MT
  • “ We brought Erica in to help us master the art of storytelling and to learn how to share the meaning of these places even more effectively. When we worked with Erica before, it was one of the most meaningful experiences of my career. I was thrilled by seeing the growth in rangers and the inspiration they gleaned. ”
    — Chief of Interpretation, National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington, D.C.
  • “ Erica creates a kind of alchemy in the room where even the most timid of us is inspired to find the writer within. She gave us new tools and reminded me of tools I once knew and had long forgotten. She inspired me to get back to an interpretive project I had put aside which I am now working on with renewed enthusiasm and focus. ”
    — Julia Clebsch, Interpretive Naturalist, Brooklyn, NY
  • “ We’ll continue using what we learned. Erica's techniques were especially effective for creating the baseline of connection that leads to meaningful dialogue. ”
    — Cape Cod National Seashore
  • “ You are missing out if you aren’t trying to book Erica for your upcoming workshop or training event. Her work with the ‘sense of place’ concept through her Soulful Landscape workshop provides excellent hands-on exercises in an area that is so often perceived as intangible, while her keynote was just the dose of inspiration we needed. ”
    — Kelly Farrell, Assistant Chief of Interpretation, Arkansas State Parks
  • “ I have experienced Erica and her music at several conferences, workshops and meetings and the results are always the same. The energy in the room changes and an opening is created. There is a sense of playfulness and grounding. Emotional connections to land and place are strengthened and our energy for conservation work is renewed. ”
    — Vermont Land Trust