Increase a sense of well-being and belonging. Deepen appreciation for the power of place. Recharge and inspire action.
Give your attendees an unforgettable journey of song, story, and conversation. Erica customizes each keynote to highlight the location and sense of place where your event is held. Attendees leave recharged with a deeper connection to themselves, each other, and the places that matter. Uncover personal narratives and collective stories about the power of place, which will help both people and places thrive.
Transform Your Tourism Narratives
“Life is a journey, not a destination.”
—- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Research on tourism shows that visitors today are seeking more unique, authentic, and meaningful experiences. Every place is worth the trip when you create sense of placemaking experiences that link your place to wider and deeper stories.
Get inspired to make wherever you are a journey worth taking. Create meaningful narratives and experiences which go way beyond the bucket list and illuminate the power of place.
Inspire Caring
“We cannot save what we do not love.” Stephen Jay Gould
While facts and data can change minds, stories can change hearts.
To engage more people to act on behalf of places, awaking caring and connection through the power of finding personal stories is the most activating tool to have in our toolkit.
Erica’s keynote will evoke your stories and give you practical ideas for ways evoke stories and caring in others. You’ll gain inspiration and insight which which will keep you inspired even in hard times.
Increase Belonging and Well-Being
Wherever you are, you can find stories and connections that foster deeper connections to yourself and your surroundings.
Uncover stories from your past and create stories about your present to feel a sense of well-being and belonging that is deeply needed in the world today.
““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.” ”
Prior Keynotes Include:
2014
National Association of State Park Directors Conference,
National Association of State Park Volunteer Coordinators
Social Venture Network Conference
2013
TEDx, Shelburne Falls
2011
Partners in the Parks Celebration, Howard County Parks and Recreation
Maryland Land Trust Alliance Conservation Conference
American Horticultural Society Youth and Garden Symposium
Arkansas State Parks Spring Training
Idaho State Parks and Recreation Conference
Montana State Parks and Recreation Conference
2024
New Mexico Council on Aging Conference
2019
Arkansas Governor's Conference on Tourism
New Mexico Governor's Conference on Tourism
2018
Association of National Park Rangers Rendezvous
National Association for Interpretation Region 2
2017
Wisconsin Governor's Conference on Tourism
Festival of the Cranes, Wheeler Wildlife Refuge
2016
BioBliz, National Geographic, National Mall
NPS Centennial Founders Day, National Mall
Parks Ontario Spring Training
Breakout Sessions
Take home the lessons of Erica’s keynote: Find and share sense of place stories. This hands-on session gives participants a process to follow to generate ideas for stories, tours programs and more. Get a framework to dive into your deeper stories.
““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”
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Introducing
Erica Wheeler
Erica is an award-winning singer-songwriter, TEDx speaker, visitor experience specialist, and interpretive trainer for parks, museums, and historic sites.
She has keynoted at dozens of events from the Wisconsin Governor’s Conference on Tourism to the National Association of State Park Directors Conference. Her keynotes are customized to increase appreciation for wherever an event is being held.
Over the past decade, she has worked extensively with the National Park Service, providing her signature interpretive skills training at over 45 NPS sites, from Yosemite National Park to Independence Hall. Her work helps staff create outstanding visitor experiences that resonate with diverse visitors.
Her work is dedicated to inspiring personal stories and connections between people and place which inspire caring, stewardship and well being, helping both people and places thrive.
Additionally, she is an award-winning singer-songwriter. Erica has six CDs to her credit. Her music has charted in the top ten on Billboard’s Gavin Americana chart. Her most recent CD, “Good Summer Rain,” was sponsored in part by the Trust for Public Land.
Erica also offers breakout sessions which give participants a chance to go deeper with the lessons from her keynote. She shares her powerful process to craft and share sense of place stories and create narratives that make a difference, personally, collectively, and beyond.
Beyond the Conference:
Share Erica’s message with your community.
Make the most of Erica’s visit to your community. Offer a Community Concert + Workshop with Erica.