Uncover a sense of place and belonging,
no matter where you are.

A sense of place is something that is often overlooked in the rush of our modern busy lives. Yet feeling connected to places, from the past or present, is essential for our personal well being and for the well being of places.Having a sense of place helps both people and places thrive.

Erica’s Sense of Place Discovery Method has been honed and crafted by working with thousands of people across the country, including extensive trainings for the National Park Service and other sites. Her programs evokes a sense of place and belonging which deeply needed in the world today. Learn more about her philosophy and approach.

Sense of Place Consulting offers customized keynotes, staff trainings and community engagement programs, and provides proven tools and techniques to help people discover, share and celebrate their unique sense of place no matter where they are.

Discover your stories.
See the familiar through new eyes.
Generate ideas that make a difference.

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Erica Wheeler is the owner of Sense of Place Consulting. She is a visitor experience specialist, speaker, educator and award-winning songwriter.

Learn more about her philosophy and approach for connecting people and place.

Get in touch today to explore working with Erica to train your staff, speak to your organization, or inspire your community.

INTERPRETIVE SKILLS TRAINING For parks, museums, natural and cultural heritage sites.

INTERPRETIVE SKILLS TRAINING
For parks, museums, natural and cultural heritage sites.

Invest in YOur Staff

Gain proven tools and techniques to provide the best visitor experiences possible, inspire creative thinking and work collaboratively with others.

More training info here

SENSE OF PLACE KEYNOTES For tourism, planning, preservation and stewardship.

SENSE OF PLACE KEYNOTES
For tourism, planning, preservation and stewardship.

Inspire YOur Attendees

Experience an uplifting and thought-provoking journey through song, story, reflection, humor and conversation to see the familiar through new eyes.

More keynote info here

COMMUNITY EVENTS Engagement programs to connect all ages to all kinds of places.

COMMUNITY EVENTS
Engagement programs to connect all ages to all kinds of places.

Increase Caring and Support

Foster meaningful connections to between people and place through Community Engagement and Youth Leadership programs.

PERSONAL INSPIRATION For your personal connections to place.

PERSONAL INSPIRATION
For your personal connections to place.

Find YOur sTory

  • Sign up below for Erica’s newsletter and eBook.

  • Read the blog for tips and tools.

  • Listen to Erica’s music.

  • Attend a program.

  • Bring Erica to your group. Get in touch.

  • “ 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