New Materialism and Public Lands: Opportunities for Human and Nonhuman Interactions at Petroglyph National Monument

Petroglyph National Monument (PETR) resides at the intersection of geology, urban development, and environmental preservation. As the site of convergence for these complex systems, this National Park site is an example of what kinds of interactions occur between humans and nonhumans and how these interactions mediate our broader understanding of material world. This project utilizes literature from more-than-human geographies and new materialism to examine how these interactions inform the management strategies of PETR. Through the interviews of 15 Volunteers-in-Parks and a focus group of five PETR employees, this project investigates what nonhuman entities are present on and around the monument, what influence they have on the monument, and what these interactions mean for future land management. It concludes with an examination of the different ways in which nonhumans at PETR compel human engagement with the more-than-human and how these interactions help bridge the disconnect between humans and the material world.