Deepen Your Sense of Place
Training, keynotes, community engagement and
creative mentoring with Erica Wheeler
What if the places where we live, work, and visit felt more like places of belonging?
When we find our connection to the places around us, or to those from our past, we find something often missing in busy lives.
Something shifts. Places become more personal. Relationships deepen. What once felt ordinary can become a source of inspiration and meaning.
For more than two decades, Erica Wheeler has helped parks, museums, communities, organizations, and individuals strengthen the connection between people and place.
Whether the goal is to create more meaningful visitor experiences, strengthen communities, inspire stewardship, support creative work, or cultivate belonging, the invitation is the same:
Find the story that connects.
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
Interpretive
Training
Practical, immersive training for teams and individuals who want to create more meaningful tours, programs, exhibits, and visitor experiences.
For parks, museums, heritage sites, learning centers, and place-based organizations.
Explore Training →
Keynotes and Breakouts
Keynote experiences that help audiences reconnect with place, story, purpose, and the deeper meaning behind their work.
For conferences and events focused on tourism, stewardship, interpretation, heritage, wellness, and community.
Explore Keynotes →
Events, Classes & Retreats
Engaging performances, workshops, classes, walks, and retreats that invite reflection, discovery, and a deeper sense of connection to place, story, and belonging.
For communities, organizations, and individuals.
Hello, I’m Erica Wheeler
I’m an interpretive trainer, keynote speaker, writer, songwriter, and founder of Sense of Place Consulting.
For more than two decades, I’ve worked with parks, museums, heritage sites, organizations, communities, and individuals to discover the stories, connections, and meanings that help people and places thrive.
Through training, speaking, writing, community engagement, and creative experiences, I help people deepen their connection to place, uncover stories that matter, and create experiences that inspire belonging, caring, and stewardship.
At the heart of this work is finding our sense of place stories, which reconnect us to who we are, where we are, and what matters most.
“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
“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 just the dose of inspiration we needed.”
—Chief of Interpretation, Arkansas State Parks and Tourism
Let’s bring your stories to life.
Interested in working together?
FOR INTERPRETERS
Create meaningful programs, tours, exhibits, and visitor experiences. Explore Interpretive Training →
FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS
Bring people together through public programs rooted in story, place, and belonging.
Host a Public Program →
Community Engagement →
FOR WRITERS & CREATIVES
Find clarity, strengthen your voice, and uncover the stories or work asking for your attention.
Explore 1:1 Mentoring →
Explore Classes →
START WITH A CONVERSATION
Book a no-pressure 15-minute call to discern what might support you or your team.
Book an Inquiry Call →
“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