Develop and Deliver Outstanding Visitor Programs

Create engaging, welcoming, and impactful visitor experiences

Black downward arrow icon with white outline.
Group of nine people standing and sitting on the porch of the John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site, with a large sign displaying the site information in front of the house.
Get Sample Outline
Schedule a Call

A Sense of Place Approach to Interpretation

What if giving a great interpretive experience is about more than delivering accurate information and asking thought-provoking questions?

What if it’s also about knowing a place deeply, telling its stories with purpose and presence, and crafting programs that evoke connections and feel as meaningful to give as they are to receive.

Visitors today bring more complexity, deeper needs, and higher expectations. Sense of Place and the Art of Interpretation helps interpreters meet those challenges with presence, craft, and intention. It shows participants how to meet these challenges — with practical techniques and innovative approaches.

This training is an immersive, field-tested program that blends craft, creativity, and meaning — designed to meet participants where they are and take them further. It includes practices that hone skills, honor strengths, and foster creative solutions.

Whether you’re new to interpretation or a seasoned professional, this training will sharpen your skills and inspire new ways to connect, create, and engage.

Choose From Three Formats:

Group of people sitting and talking in an industrial-style room with exposed beams and brick wall.

Signature Training
1-day to 3-days

Hands-on, site-specific immersive learning, onsite or online.

3-Day Signature Training — Full immersion into the Sense of Place framework for lasting transformation.

2-Day Skill Builder — Dedicated time to hone techniques and polish content.

1-Day Intensive — A focused skills jumpstart and fresh approach to program design.

Group of four women sitting on benches outdoors, facing a bronze historical sculpture of soldiers on horseback, with a man standing nearby.

6-Week Online Series –
3 hours per week


Interactive live sessions, paced to give time for ideas and techniques to take root.

Get the full 3-day
Signature Training in an online format. Each week blends instruction, reflection, and practical application.

Train with your team together
or join a cohort,

Four people smiling and talking indoors in a wood-paneled room, two men and two women.

Targeted Modules
and Master Classes

Focused sessions on specific skills or themes. 90-minute to half or full-day formats, online or onsite.

Sense of Place Interpretation
Rethinking Foundations
Storytelling Craft & Techniques
Content Development
Program Arcs & Sequencing
Well--Balanced Programs

For teams wanting maxium flexibility.

Reach Out to Learn More.

Next Steps:

Request a sample agenda to see how a day, a week, or a module flows.

Schedule a call so we can see what would be a fit for your site and staff goals.

“I used to DREAD the outline process. I would be stuck in the muck for days. Erica has given me the boots I need for this terrain! I will definitely use the tools/techniques and am inspired to create great visitor experiences. Thank you for the gift of this outstanding training.”

Sitka NHP, AK

Proven Training with Lasting Impact
Each interpreter brings talent, dedication, and deep knowledge to their work. This field-tested program builds on those strengths with practical tools and fresh ideas to make every program they deliver engaging, relevant, and meaningful.

Participants receive a clear, structured curriculum refined over years of in-the-field success. Whenever possible, training content is linked to your site’s stories, people, and places to make the material relevant and easy to apply.

What Your Team Will Gain:

✓ Enhanced understanding of interpretation foundations, mission, and technique
✓ Increased confidence and communication skills tailored to their unique voice and style
✓ Practical tools and methods for designing and delivering engaging, place-based programs
✓ Improved ability to create meaningful connections between visitors and the site’s stories and landscapes
✓ A sustainable framework for continued growth and program development

Feedback:

  • "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 we 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, DC

  • "I observed my staff applying Erica's approach and feel that the level of programs this year was just outstanding. Even our more "science based" interpreters brought in more of the emotional, reflective techniques. I personally used her techniques in my programs and found they were incredibly powerful every time, with all ages."

    Cape Cod National Seashore, MA

  • "Erica provided our interpretive staff with a fresh angle on interpretation, new techniques, and the opportunity to stretch and experiment. This training served as a solid foundation for our seasonal training and complimented prior training around audience-centered engagement techniques, peer coaching, and resource content.”

    Marsh-Billings-Rockerfeller NHP & Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site

  • "You are missing out if you aren't trying to book Erica for your upcoming workshop or training event. Her work with the ‘sense of place’ concept through her Soulful Landscape workshop provides excellent hands-on exercises in an area that is so often perceived as intangible, while her keynote was just the dose of inspiration we needed.”

    Chief of Interpretation, Arkansas State Parks and Tourism

  • "I am a conservation professional, and although I hadn't put my finger on it until the workshop, I had been struggling with a sense of loss regarding my connection to nature that first inspired me to work in this field. The workshop rekindled that connection. I left with the tools and resolve to more intentionally tap into the power of place as well as the inspiration to help others do the same."

    Claire Dacey, Naturalist, Artist, Historian, MA

  • "Erica creates a kind of alchemy in the room where even the most timid of us is inspired to find the writer within. She gave us new tools and reminded me of tools I once knew and had long forgotten. She inspired me to get back to an interpretive project I had put aside which I am now working on with renewed enthusiasm and focus."

    National Association for Interpretation

  • "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

  • "At the end of the 3- part writing prompt, I had enough material to write several powerful essays as well as a new idea for an inspirational card deck. If that wasn't enough, Erica listened to what I wrote and in less than a minute had whipped up a terrific song. If anyone can rally the preservation troops to get "a sense of place" off the endangered species list, it's Erica Wheeler."

    Giulietta "Julie" Nardone, Participant, Upton Forest State Park, MA

Prior Trainings
Include:

MORE CLIENTS AND TESTIMONIALS HERE

National Park Service Sites:

Acadia NP
Adams NHP
Assateague Island NS
Bandelier NM
Big Thicket NP
Cape Cod NP
Denali National Park and Preserve
Everglades NP
Fredrick Law Olmsted NHS
Ft. Stanwix NHS
Gateway NRA
Governors Island NM
Grant-Khors NHS
Great Sands NP
Great Smokies NP
Hawai’i Volcanoes NP
John Fitzgerald Kennedy NHS
Hopewell Furnace NHS


Hot Springs NP
Independence NHP
Marsh Billings Rockefeller NH
Mesa Verde NP
National Mall and Memorial Parks
Niagara Falls National Heritage Area
Organ Pipe Cactus NM
Petrified Forest NP
Salem Maritime NHS
Saint Gaudens NHS
Sagamore Hill NHS
Saugus Iron Mill NHS
Springfield Armory NHS
White Sands NM
Women's Rights NHP
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Yosemite NP

Group of people posing outdoors in a desert landscape under a clear blue sky, some making playful gestures and expressions.

Details:

  • This training goes beyond standard interpretive techniques—it transforms how your team thinks about engaging visitors by using a sense of place-making perspective. Participants gain a new way of thinking about program design, meaningful narratives, and working as a cohesive team. Erica blends her in-the-field expertise from working with 45+ NPS sites, with her background in performing arts and creative process to provide a framework of proven tools and opportunities to rethink interpretation and storytelling.

    EACH TRAINING IS:

    • Customized for Your Site – Tailored to fit your unique needs, ensuring immediate, practical application. Erica’s fee includes site research to ensure training concepts link to site themes and stories.

    • Inclusive & Innovative – Helps to craft programs that engage visitors with different learning styles through a fresh, creative lens.

    • Skill-Based & Practical – Provides tangible tools and techniques for delivering compelling, balanced visitor experiences.

    • Grounded in the Power of Place— Each training emphasizes using stories and techniques to connect people with the unique power of your place.

    INTERPRETERS OF ALL LEVELS WILL EXPERIENCE THE BENEFITS:

    • Skill-Building for All Levels – Developing authentic, well-crafted, inclusive programs requires practice. This training provides in-depth support for interpreters at all experience levels, ensuring they can confidently share complex stories in a concise, engaging way.

    • Adaptable for Different Learning Styles – A creative, supportive approach helps interpreters identify and refine their most effective techniques while developing new skills to meet performance standards.

    • Fosters a Cohesive Team – Through participatory learning, brainstorming, and collaboration, this training strengthens team dynamics and fosters long-term professional growth.

  • I’m an experienced interpretive trainer, keynote speaker and creative mentor. With a background in the performing arts, and conservation advocacy, I’ve worked directly for over a decade with parks, museums, historic sites, land trusts, community organizations, and more. I’m also an award-winning songwriter and a keynote speaker who has delivered keynotes at Governor’s Conferences on Tourism and many national events.

    My approach to interpretation bridges creative thinking with practical tools, and a sense of place lens to inspire fresh program ideas that elevate interpreters and interpretation, and resonate with visitors, fostering meaningful connections between people and place.

  • Payment:
    I’m a registered independent contractor with the Federal Government and in the SAM system. She accepts checks, direct deposits, and credit cards (with a 3% processing fee.)

    Travel Expenses:
    The standard government rates apply for travel, meals and lodging, and can provide a detailed estimate upon request. I fly out of Hartford, CT. Rates can be reduced if I am already in your region.

    Formats:
    Training can be offered for consecutive days onsite. Formats can be adapted to meet your staff and training needs. A minimum of 6 participants is required. Some parks opt to hire me for multiple consecutive days, so everyone can attend. Parks with a large staff can do a presentation style training with more group work and limited 1:1 time with the instructor. Other sites might include all their interpreters, interns, volunteers, partners, and other divisions such as resources, curatorial, and fees.

    Sense of Place Consulting is a Woman Owned Small Business.
    I am committed to helping all individuals show up fully as who they are, and meeting people wherever they are on their learning journey. I am known for my down-to-earth, welcoming and inspiring facilitation skills.