Community Engagement
for Organizations
Sense of Place Events for Mission-Based Programming
Offer experiences rooted in story and grounded in place
Every community holds a deeper story—of memory, identity, landscape, culture, and connection. Erica’s programs invite people into that story through shared experiences of song, storytelling, reflection, conversation, and guided exploration.
Rooted in her Sense of Place and Story Framework, Erica’s programs are grounded in a simple truth: personal stories of connection inspire caring. For more than two decades, she has partnered with national parks, land trusts, museums, libraries, retreat centers, schools, and community organizations to create experiences to inspire caring and engage people emotionally, creatively, and personally.
Erica’s approach helps people access their sense of place stories through individual and collective shared experiences. Her work helps participants move from simply learning about a place to feeling personally connected to it—strengthening belonging, stewardship, and shared care for the places and communities around them.
“We cannot save what we do not love.” Stephen Jay Gould
Outcomes for these events include a stronger personal and collective sense of place, belonging, stewardship, and well-being.
For mission-based organizations, this is how purpose becomes personal.
People don’t just learn about your mission—they begin to feel their own place within it.
“Particularly well suited for land trusts and other conservation organizations, as her art is intimately tied to the landscape and the sense of identity people derive from their surroundings.”
— Leigh Youngblood, Executive Director,Mount Grace Land Trust, MA
Sense of Place Keynotes & Concerts
Erica curates performances that weave together research about your place to create a shared journey of song, story, and conversation that cultivates place-centered experiences of connection, meaning, and belonging.
Community concerts can often become gathering points for reflection, shared memory, and renewed appreciation for the places people call home. They stir appreciation and emotional resonance, and bring to life their surroundings from a fresh perspective.
Choose when you want to give audiences a memorable way to connect with the meaning of your place, your mission, and the community they are part of.
Sense of Place Writing Workshops
Reflective writing experiences that help participants uncover personal stories of place, memory, and belonging.
Through story prompts, sensory awareness, reflection, and shared storytelling, people begin to name their own relationship to place and hear the connections they share with others.
Choose to encourage meaningful community participation, intergenerational connection, cultural storytelling, and experiences that deepen people’s emotional investment in their place.
Sense of Place Walks & Saunters
Reflective walks that combine local history, storytelling, sensory awareness, conversation, and observation to help participants experience familiar landscapes in new ways.
A saunter turns a place into an encounter. People slow down, notice more, and begin to experience the layers of story, memory, ecology, and meaning beneath what they may pass by every day.
Choose to deepen attachment to place, which is the kind of attachment that inspires care, stewardship, curiosity, and belonging.
Youth Leadership Programs
Place-centered storytelling and creative programs designed to help youth feel more connected to where they are and who they are. These programs strengthen confidence, identity, leadership, and connection to community.
Through writing, reflection, conversation, and creative exploration, participants discover that their voices, memories, and lived experiences matter.
Choose to develop a grounded sense of belonging, which is the foundation for leadership, stewardship, and care for community.
Customized Programs
These programs are designed for organizations working to strengthen stewardship, belonging, cultural connection, education, interpretation, and community well-being.
They can be crafted for scope, audience, setting, and level of facilitation. Single programs, multi-part events, and larger community engagement partnerships are available.
These can be customized for:
‣ Conservation and stewardship initiatives
‣ Natural, cultural, and historical sites
‣Community events and celebrations
‣Public humanities and arts initiatives
‣ Intergenerational storytelling
Related offerings for organizations include educator trainings, youth leadership training, team leadership retreats, conference sessions, and keynotes.
“We invited Erica out for a week to help celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Big Sur Land Trust with a variety of events. Her positive impact reverberated throughout our community and continues to this day. Erica’s ability to connect people and place beautifully aligned with our mission to strengthen communities and inspire stewardship.”
— Bill Leahy, Executive Director, Big Sur Land Trust, CA
Partnerships and Collaborations
Erica has partnered with mission-based organizations nationwide, supporting initiatives ranging from National Endowment for the Arts–funded community events to National Park Service engagement programs.
Her work has included concerts, writing workshops, youth leadership programs, educator trainings, and community celebrations—each designed to help people rediscover their connection to place and to one another.
Selected partnerships include:
National Endowment for the Arts – Community workshops, concerts, NEA Big Read programs
Smithsonian Affiliate Programs – Customized sense of place keynotes and writing workshops
National Park Service sites – Public programs, celebrations, and community engagement
National and regional land trusts – Trust for Public Land, Big Sur Land Trust, Land Trust Alliance
Youth programs – Wyoming Youth Congress on Children and Nature, New Bedford Youth Leadership Academy, The Trustees
Educator Trainings - Approaching Walden, Promise of Place, Environmental Educator Conference
Let’s Collaborate
Whether you’re planning a public event, conference, retreat, celebration, educational initiative, or community gathering, Erica can help you shape an experience that brings your mission to life and helps people feel more connected to the places and communities they care about.
Ready to explore a Sense of Place program for your community?
Get in touch →