Erica Wheeler | Sense of Place Advocate
Working to Help People and Places Thrive.
Erica Wheeler is a visitor experience specialist, interpretive trainer, keynote speaker, award-winning songwriter, and writing mentor. She works with parks, museums, heritage sites, communities, and individuals to uncover stories of place and belonging that inspire connection and care.
For more than a decade, she has delivered her Sense of Place and the Art of Interpretation training at sites nationwide, including extensive work with the National Park Service. She has keynoted national and regional conferences, including several Governor’s Conferences on Tourism, and is recognized for blending professional expertise with creativity and heart.
Her work as a touring songwriter has led to national media features on NPR’s All Things Considered and Yankee Magazine, as well as a Billboard Gavin Americana Top Ten album and multiple awards.
Whether through training, keynotes, concerts, or writing workshops, Erica weaves story and conversation into practical and creative tools that evoke stories, well-being, and stewardship.
[To explore working with her, Start Here →]
About my Journey Here
Aspiring wildlife biologist to touring songwriter…
I entered Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, planning to become a wildlife biologist. It was there I first saw how a personal story could move people to care in ways facts alone could not. I 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 began to wonder if people noticed—and if they cared. I believed they did. I began leading workshops that evoked people’s own stories of place, which eventually grew into the sense of place and story framework at the heart of my work today.
Conservation advocate to interpretive trainer…
A partnership with the Trust for Public Land for my Good Summer Rain album, followed by a keynote at the National Association for Interpretation, opened the door to my career as an interpretive trainer.
Nearly 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.
My Core Philosophy
At the heart of all my programs is a simple belief: personal stories of connection inspire caring.
All my work is dedicated to sparking these stories and helping people share them.
Because now, more than ever, we need more people to care about more places.
A few more things about me…
I grew up in Maryland, a few miles from Washington, D.C., the youngest of four. My dad was a journalist; my mom, a cellist and store owner.
My formative years included a 30-day biology expedition with the National Outdoor Leadership School and a National Science Foundation scholarship to do field research in Colorado.
As a touring songwriter, I shared stages with some of my favorite artists—from Shawn Colvin to Indigo Girls—and played festivals from Winnipeg to Kerrville.
I don’t have a favorite National Park (people always ask!). Each site I’ve trained at—from Hawai‘i Volcanoes to Independence Hall—is unique, and discovering a sense of place through them is one of my greatest joys.
Some of my favorite things are small towns, agricultural fairs, Froggy Bottom Guitars, soaking in mountain hot springs, exploring museums and historic sites, and wandering wild places where wolves, bears, and buffalo still roam.
I live in the hills of western Massachusetts with my partner, in a 125-year-old house beside a rushing stream, surrounded by forests, dairy, and maple sugar farms.
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