When Brian Gibbs woke up on Valentine’s Day on Friday, it was just another morning of getting to do what he loved at his “dream job” as an education park ranger at Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa. By that afternoon, the father and husband said he was “absolutely heartbroken and completely devastated” to have been one of hundreds of National Park Service employees suddenly fired from their jobs.
“Access to my government email was denied mid-afternoon and my position was ripped out from out under my feet after my shift was over at 3:45pm on a cold snowy Friday,” Gibbs wrote in a viral Facebook post. “Additionally, before I could fully print off my government records, I was also locked out of my electronic personal file that contained my secure professional records.”
About 3,400 recently hired employees with the U.S. Forest Service and 1,000 employees with the National Park Service were fired from their jobs over the weekend under the Trump administration, accounting for 10% and 5% of those workforces, respectively. Seasonal employees will be exempt from a hiring freeze for the National Park Service.
Gibbs’ post, featuring images of him, his wife and son has been shared more than 220,000 times. Signed “Ranger Brian,” the post goes on to pen an emotional tribute to the role, of which he called himself a “dedicated civil servant … a work evaluation that reads ‘exceeds expectations’ … a United States flag raiser and folder” among other things.
“I am of the place where I first told my spouse I loved her. I am a college kid’s dream job,” he wrote. “…I am a voice for 19 American Indian cultures. I am the protector of 2500 year old American Indian burial and ceremonial mounds. I am the defender of your public lands and waters.”
The father went on to describe the impact that he and other park rangers have on children who frequent national parks. At Iowa’s Effigy Mounds, the National Park that’s home to spaces that are sacred to 20 culturally associated Indigenous tribes, provides educational programs for students, including tours and demonstrations, according to the park’s website.
Gibbs has long shared his love for the land he tends. In November, the Department of the Interior shared a photo of the Northern Lights that Gibbs took from the park, showcasing pink lights cascading through the star-filled sky. Effigy Mounds has shared other photos Gibbs has taken of the Northern Lights in previous occurrences.
“I am the highlight of your child’s school day. I am the band aid for a skinned knee. I am the lesson that showed your children that we live in a world of gifts- not commodities, that gratitude and reciprocity are the doorway to true abundance, not power, money, or fear,” Gibbs wrote. “I am the one who taught your kid the thrush’s song and the hawk’s cry. I am the wildflower that brought your student joy. I am the one who told your child that they belong on this planet. That their unique gifts and existence matters.”
But then, Gibbs’ words became those of exasperation. He spoke of being “the resistance,” but also of experiencing loss and fatigue.
“I am tired of waking up every morning at 2am wondering how I am going to provide for my family if I lose my job. I am tired of wiping away my wife’s tears and reassuring her that things will be ok for us and our growing little family that she’s carrying,” he said. “Things are not ok. I am not ok. (This is the second time in under five years a dream job I worked has been eliminated. Now I may need to uproot my FAMILY again.)”
Gibbs’ family is not alone in the heartache and disappointment of the job cuts.
National Parks Conservation Association President and CEO Theresa Pierno said in a statement on Friday that while seasonal staff is essential, “staffing cuts of this magnitude will have devastating consequences for parks and communities.”
“With peak season just weeks away, the decision to slash 1,000 permanent, full-time jobs from national parks is reckless and could have serious public safety and health consequences,” Pierno said. “Years of budget cuts are already weakening the agency’s ability to protect and preserve these incredible places.”
“National Park Service employees dedicate their careers to preserving our nation’s most treasured landscapes and historic sites,” Phil Francis, chair of The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks wrote in a statement. “We should be supporting them — not jeopardizing their livelihoods or discouraging their commitment to public service.”
Li Cohen is a senior social media producer at CBS News. She previously wrote for amNewYork and The Seminole Tribune. She mainly covers climate, environmental and weather news.
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