‍Find Your
Sense of Place Stories

Training, writing, and speaking rooted in story and grounded in evoking meaningful connections to place.

Gain practical and creative tools to enrich your life and work.

What if the places where we live, work, and visit felt more like places of belonging?

We’d begin to see places not simply as locations, but as sources of meaning, memory, identity, and possibility.

We’d discover inspiration for our work, deeper roots in our communities, and a stronger sense of belonging.

A sense of place can enrich how we experience the world.

It can help you:
→ Feel more connected to where you are
→ Find more meaning in everyday experiences
→ Strengthen relationships with ourselves, our communities, and our surroundings
→ Enrich our work and sense of purpose

Logos of U.S. government agencies including Forest Service, State Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Association for Interpretation.
Logo for the National Park Service on a sign with trees and a mountain background, and a key to unlock a door.

Everyone has stories of place and belonging,
waiting to be remembered and revealed. 

Let’s find yours.

Appalachian Trail Conservancy, NextGen Summit, Mount Greylock, MA

Hello, I’m Erica Wheeler

I'm the founder of Sense of Place Consulting and an interpretive trainer, keynote speaker, performer, songwriter, and creative mentor.

I bring together interpretation, storytelling, creative practice, and a sense of place lens to help people explore the layers of time, meaning, memory, and perspective that places hold.

For more than two decades, I have helped parks, museums, historic sites, communities, organizations, and individuals explore their sense of place and discover the stories, meanings, and possibilities those connections reveal.

The framework, tools, and practices I use have been shaped through decades of in-the-field experience and a lifelong commitment to connecting people and place.

People leave with a stronger sense of place, a clearer understanding of what matters, and practical ways to bring those insights to life in their work, communities, and everyday lives.

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“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 I’d 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

Explore Programs Offered

‍Train.ing for parks, museums, heritage sites, learning centers, and organizations

Create meaningful tours, exhibits, and visitor experiences through a comprehensive training framework that includes practical tools and practices to enrich sense of place connections.

Interpretive Training →

Interpretive Training

Keynotes

Keynotes for conferences and events focused on tourism, stewardship, interpretation, heritage, wellness, and community.‍ ‍

A journey of story, song and conversation customized to connect audiences to places, purpose, and the deeper meaning behind their work.

 Keynotes →

Public Programs

Events and programs for communities, organizations,
and individuals.

Uncover and develop your own stories of connection or bring people together through public events rooted in story, place, and belonging.

Find an event
Writing programs →
Community engagement→

Let’s bring your stories to life.

What’s Possible?

FOR INTERPRETERS
Learn to design and deliver programs that create the conditions for connection
Training →

FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
Provide experiences that strengthen individual and collective identity and awakening a sense of belonging
Community Engagement →
Book Erica

FOR INDIVIDUALS
Uncover stories and practices rooted in meaning, place, memory and experience.
Sense of Place Writing →
Events Calendar →

“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, Educator, Artist, MA