What makes a place meaningful?
Find your sense of place story.
Training, keynotes, and public programs
to inspire stories and sense of place connections.
with ERICA WHEELER
Find the stories that connect people to place.
Sense of Place Consulting offers training, keynotes, public programs, and creative experiences that help people uncover stories of place, meaning, and belonging.
This work is grounded in a simple truth: when people feel personally connected to places and their stories, they care about places. And that helps people and places thrive.
For more than two decades, Erica has helped parks, museums, heritage sites, organizations, communities, and individuals find and share the stories that create connection, deepen caring, and support belonging and well-being.
Learn more about Erica’s philosophy and approach →
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
Training for Interpreters & Educators
For parks, museums, heritage sites, learning centers, and place-based organizations.
Practical, immersive training for teams who want to create more meaningful tours, programs, exhibits, and visitor experiences.
Explore Training →
Keynotes for Conferences and Events
For conferences, gatherings, and events focused on tourism, stewardship, interpretation, heritage, wellness, and community.
Keynote experiences that help audiences reconnect with place, story, purpose, and the deeper meaning behind their work.
Explore Keynotes →
Public Events, Classes & Retreats
For communities, organizations, and individuals.
Concerts, workshops, classes, walks, and retreats that invite reflection, discovery, and a deeper sense of connection to place, story, and belonging.
“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
Hello. I’m Erica Wheeler, the founder of Sense of Place Consulting.
I’m glad you’ve found your way here.
I offer interpretive training, keynotes, community programs, and writing courses shaped by decades of work with parks, museums, historic sites, organizations, and communities across the country.
In my programs, I share practices and tools that help people uncover the layers of time, story, and meaning around them. People leave with practical skills they can use in their personal or professional work, and with a stronger sense of connection to themselves, their surroundings, and one another.
“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
Let’s bring your stories to life.
Curious about working together?
Unsure where to begin? Start with an Inquiry Call. In this no-pressure 25-minute call, we’ll look at where you are, what you’re hoping to bring forward, and where this work could support you most right now. Book an Inquiry Call →
For Interpreters: Bring practical, meaningful training to staff and interpreters who create programs, tours, exhibits, and visitor experiences. Explore Interpretive Training →
For Organizations & Communities: Bring people together through keynotes, concerts, workshops, walks, or public programs rooted in story, place, and belonging.
Host a Public Program → Community Engagement →
For Writers & Creatives: Find clarity, strengthen your voice, and uncover the stories or work asking for your attention.
Explore 1:1 Mentoring →
Explore Classes →
“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