Find stories of place and belonging,
waiting to be remembered, revealed, and shared.
Create stories that matter.
Inspired practices and tools for organizations, communities and individuals to craft stories and programs that help people and places thrive.
Erica Wheeler
Interpretive Training
Design and deliver outstanding visitor experiences.
Staff training for parks, museums, heritage sites, and mission-based organizations to foster meaningful connections between people and place.
Writing Programs
Craft and share meaningful stories.
Classes, mentoring, and retreats for uncovering and honing ideas and writings sourced from the intersections of nature, history, culture, self, and place.
Keynotes Performances
Inspire sense of place stories, and connections.
Keynotes and performances for communities and organizations seeking to inspire meaningful connections to ourselves, our places, and each other.
“You are missing out if you aren’t booking Erica for a workshop or training. Her “sense of place” concept featured excellent hands-on exercises in an area so often perceived as intangible, while her keynote was the dose of inspiration we needed.”
—Chief of Interpretation, Arkansas State Parks and Tourism
In today’s fast-paced world, we’re all searching for something deeper.
Many people feel disconnected—from ourselves, our surroundings, and each other. We pass through landscapes, hear stories, but rarely feel the power they hold. I call it an “epidemic of disconnect.”
It’s not enough to just visit a place or simply live someplace.
We want something more:
connection, meaning, and belonging.
We can heal this disconnect and live more rooted to where we are and who we are.
For some, that means slowing down, listening, and reconnecting—with our surroundings and ourselves.
For others, it’s about inspiring people by crafting narratives that move them, designing programs that inspire action, and creating experiences that matter.
You can gain a sense of connection, meaning, and purpose through finding stories grounded in the power of place.
Interpretive Trainer • Speaker •
Performer • Creative Mentor
Erica Wheeler
An award-winning singer-songwriter, interpretive trainer, and TEDx speaker, Erica works with parks, museums, and heritage sites across North America, supporting staff as they deepen their storytelling skills, boost visitor engagement, and enhance interpretive practices. She has trained more than 45 National Park Service sites to date.
As a keynote speaker, she explores themes of tourism, storytelling, sense of place, and stewardship, and has spoken at several of the Governor’s Conferences on Tourism and at other national events. She also runs sense of place writing workshops, retreats and mentoring programs.
Erica’s approach offers a blend of creativity, reflection, and connection combined with practical tools and a proven framework to help you bring stories to life in ways that inspire and engage.
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.
—National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington, DC
Sense of Place and Story Programs
Whether you are seeking professional development training or a nourishing creative experience, these programs can help you discover and deepen your connections to places, find stories that matter, and gain the skills you need to share those stories powerfully.
Boost skills. Hone techniques. Communicate authentically. Make an Impact.
The places you love have shaped you.
The stories you carry matter.
Let’s bring your stories to life.
Erica’s workshop rekindled my connection to nature that first inspired me to work in this field, and I left with the tools and resolve to tap more into the power of place as well as the inspiration to help others do the same.
—Claire Dacey, Naturalist, Landscape Educator, MA