Grounded in the Power of Place and Story
A fresh way of seeing. A deeper way of knowing. A meaningful way of engaging.
What if the key to connection, belonging, and care isn’t about facts alone, but about the stories we tell and the way we see ourselves in them?
My approach is built on a simple but profound idea: When we cultivate a personal bond with places, we enrich our well-being and naturally feel inspired to care for the world around us. This creates a ripple effect—helping both people and places thrive.
Whether you’re looking to deepen your personal connection to place, craft more engaging visitor experiences, or inspire stewardship within your community, a Sense of Place approach offers a powerful lens for transformation.
The Soulful Stewardship Method
At the heart of my approach is the Soulful Stewardship Method—a way of working that recognizes the deep relationship between personal stories, connection, and care.
It’s based on these core truths:
Personal sense of place stories create meaningful connections.
Meaningful connections lead to care.
Care inspires stewardship.
We don’t protect what we are told to care about—we protect what we feel connected to. My work helps people find those connections, in ways that are personal, authentic, and lasting.
What is a Sense of Place?
There are many definitions of "sense of place," but through decades of working with this idea, I’ve come to see it as something deeply personal:
A sense of place is a meaning-making process.
It’s an ongoing journey of discovery—where we come to know places, and in doing so, come to know ourselves.
It’s that feeling when a place stirs something in you. When your knowledge of a place meets your experience of it, something deeper emerges—a sense of meaning, belonging, and connection.
In a nutshell: Factual Knowledge + Personal Experience = Your Sense of Place.
“If you don’t know where you are,
you don’t know who you are.” Wendell Berry
Your sense of place isn’t just about where you are. It’s about how a place resonates with you, and what it reveals to you about the world and your place in it.
Healing the Disconnect
In today’s fast-moving world, many people feel disconnected from where they are. They visit places without seeing themselves in the stories being told. They move somewhere new and never quite feel like they belong. I’m working to help shift that.
For individuals, this approach helps you find, develop, and express your personal stories of place.
For organizations, it offers a fresh way to engage audiences—helping them connect emotionally and intellectually to the places you care for, making your mission more impactful
This isn’t about fixing something broken. It’s about remembering something whole — a deep, authentic sense of connection, meaning, and belonging that isn’t that hard to find. And when we know more about where we are, we know more about who we are. And that changes everything.
Create Narratives That Shift the Conversation
Honed over years of hands-on experience, my Sense of Place and Story Framework provides practical tools to help individuals, organizations, and communities uncover and share the stories that matter most.
When we root ourselves in authentic, place-centered narratives, we create experiences that don’t simply inform—they resonate, they linger, they shift the way people see themselves and the world around them.
If you're ready to move into making a greater impact, by crafting narratives that foster true connection, and to transform the way you engage others—this framework provides a path.
The Sense of Place & Story Framework
This framework provides a structured and creative way to find and share stories that matter. Through a journey of reflection, learning and implementation, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of who you are, where you are, and how to craft engaging, effective narratives.
When we embrace the idea that we carry stories inside us grounded in a sense of place, we unlock a richer, more expressive way of thinking about our lives and the world around us—one that comes from integrating knowledge and experiences into something deeply resonant in our lives.
1. Knowledge of Self
Discover your personal stories of connection to place.
Reflect on how these stories shape your sense of belonging and well-being.
Gain storytelling skills to express yourself and help others do the same.
2. Knowledge of Place
Learn to see the familiar through new eyes.
Explore the layers of nature, culture, and history from a fresh perspective.
Discover how to weave factual content into engaging narratives.
3. The Craft of Story
Integrate knowledge, experience, and feeling into meaningful stories.
Develop ideas into compelling narratives and programs.
Use story as a tool for deeper connection, engagement, and insight
4. The Craft of Engagement
Master techniques for delivering engaging stories and experiences.
Hone your skills in crafting well-rounded programs that reach different learning styles.
Develop strategies that inspire connection, belonging, and care in others.
Interested in Working Together?
Whether you’re an individual looking to enrich your storytelling, a site seeking to create more inclusive, engaging programs, or a community aiming to foster deeper connections—my approach can help.
Writing Classes, Retreats & Private Mentoring – For those looking to explore their personal sense of place stories.
Interpretive Training for Staff & Teams – Masterclasses, webinars, and multi-day sessions that transform how we engage visitors.
Sense of Place Keynotes & Breakouts – Inspiring talks that explore belonging, inclusion, and the power of place.