Erica Wheeler
Trainer. Speaker. Songwriter. Creative Mentor. Sense of Place Advocate.
Meet Erica
Erica Wheeler is an award-winning singer-songwriter, TEDx speaker, interpretive trainer, and creative mentor. She works with the the public, communities and organizations, and has worked extensively across North America with parks, museums, and heritage sites—supporting staff as they deepen their storytelling skills, strengthen visitor engagement, and elevate interpretive practice. She has provided training for 45+ National Park Service sites to date.
As a keynote speaker, she explores themes of tourism, storytelling, sense of place, and stewardship and has keynoted at several of the Governor’s Conference on Tourism as well as at national events.
She has released six critically acclaimed recordings.Her music has charted in the Billboard’s Gavin Americana Top Ten, and she’s been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, Yankee Magazine and more.
Erica also leads writing workshops and retreats centered around her core framework: using a sense of place as the gateway to creativity, curiosity, belonging, and identity.
Her mission is to help people uncover the stories within them and cultivate meaningful, lasting connections to the places that shape their lives.
Background: My journey to this work
I entered Hampshire College (Amherst, MA) to become a wildlife field biologist. It was there I first saw how story—especially a personal story, could move people to care in ways facts alone could not. I went on to became a touring singer-songwriter, writing songs rooted in a deep sense of place.
As I traveled, I often fell in love with landscapes, only to return later and find them changed or gone. I started to wonder if people noticed. And if they cared. I believed they did, and do. But their stories, like mine, needed remembering and reclaiming. I began teaching workshops to help people find their stories. I shared my own creative process for writing songs, and this began what would become my framework, and is still at the heart of l the programs I offer today.
In 2008, I released “Good Summer Rain” in partnership with the Trust for Public Land, and the year before I gave a keynote for the National Association for Interpretation, which began my career working with interpreters.
Now, almost 15 years later, I’ve worked with museums, parks, historic sites, and communities across North America—helping individuals and teams design experiences that awaken connection and inspire stewardship through the power of story.
All my work is grounded in this core truth: Personal stories of connection to places inspire caring about and for places.
And we need more people caring and more places today.
Philosophy and Approach
In today’s fast-paced world, we’re all searching for something deeper.
Many of us 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 or live in a place.
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.
Erica’s programs inspire connection, meaning, and purpose through uncovering stories grounded in the power of place.
Her framework leads people on a journey of discovery, providing practical tools and creative insight.
The Sense of Place and Story Framework
Honed through decades of in-the-field and hands-on work with park rangers, educators, communities and creatives, this framework consists of proven tools, techniques and experiences that effectively guide people toward stories that help them gain a sense of place and belonging.
Whether you are currently working on a personal project, designing a public program, or offering a community event, Erica’s framework will help you share stories that matter.
There are four quadrants for the framework: Find Your Stories, See Through New Eyes, Craft Meaningful Stories and Share Stories. While the outcome may be different for each person or group, the journey includes these common threads.
For Interpreters and Guides
Transform your approach to program design and delivery by crafting experiences that inspire genuine connection.
Explore Interpretive Training →
For Community Organizations
Programs that will enrich your work and your community. Engagement programs that bring your mission to life. Help people rediscover their own stories of place together.
Explore Engagement Events→
For Individuals
Follow your creative path, find new sources of inspiration, and strengthen your writing, storytelling, and self-expression for your personal or professional work.
Explore Writing Programs →