Better Stories.
Deeper Connections.
Find a sense of place and belonging — anywhere.
ERICA WHEELER
Interpretive Trainer · Keynote Speaker · Writing Mentor
Sense of Place Programs
For Organizations · Communities · Individuals
Interpretive Training
For natural and cultural
heritage sites, parks, museums, learning centers, and organizations.
Explore Training →
Sense of Place Keynotes
For conferences, gatherings, and events focused on wellness,
tourism, preservation and community.
Explore Keynotes →
Public Programs
Concerts, workshops,
classes, and retreats
for individuals and
communities.
Attend a Program →
Host a Program →
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
In today's fast-paced world, many of us are searching for something deeper.
We move through landscapes, hear stories, visit meaningful places—but often without feeling the power they hold. Yet we yearn for something more: connection, meaning, and belonging.
At the heart of this work is a simple truth: Personal stories of connection to places inspire us to care for those places.
And finding these stories helps both people and places thrive.
For more than two decades, I've worked with communities, organizations, and individuals to discover and share those stories.
Welcome. I’m Erica Wheeler.
I’m the founder of Sense of Place Consulting. My work explores the intersections of story, place, and meaning in communities, organizations, and everyday life.
I offer interpretive training, keynotes, community programs, and writing courses, informed by decades of in-the-field experience with parks, museums, historic sites, organizations and communities across the country.
Through the Sense of Place Story Framework, I share practices and tools that help people explore the layers of time and story around them. As a result, people slow down, notice more, and reconnect—to themselves, their surroundings, and one another.
They leave with practical skills they can use in their personal or professional work, and with a stronger sense of place and belonging.
“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
Curious what’s possible?
This approach can help you elevate your professional work— and help you relate more intentionally to place, story, and meaning in everyday life
For Interpreters
Design programs and media that invite deeper engagement and connection.
For Communities
Bring people together through concerts and workshops rooted in shared stories and place.
For Writers and Creatives
Find clarity, strengthen your voice, and navigate transitions with purpose.
Wherever you begin, you’ll find a clear, supportive process woven through everything I offer.
Questions?
“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
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, Educator, Artist, MA