'PhDs on Potty Patrol' as Yosemite Slashes Staff

Yosemite meadows, 2004. Photo by Jon Sullivan. Public domain.

They went from studying mountain lions to scrubbing urinals. At Yosemite National Park, elite scientists, IT professionals, and rangers are now handling bathroom cleanup duty — and no, this isn't a drill. It's the fallout from a hiring freeze triggered by cuts from Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, raising eyebrows across the nation.

What started as a temporary fix to a staffing gap has turned into a viral spectacle. Highly trained specialists, some earning six-figure salaries, are now disinfecting campground toilets — and everyone, from DC policy wonks to small-town janitors, seems to have something to say about it.

When Scientists Become Sanitation Workers

Following layoffs and a hiring freeze that affected thousands of seasonal workers, Yosemite found itself without enough custodians to handle basic maintenance during peak visitor season. That left park leadership with limited options — and portable toilets, they decided, just wouldn't do.

So, instead of outsourcing or delaying campground openings, the park ordered five departments to step in. That includes Interpretation & Education, IT, Commercial Services, Safety, and, notably, the Resources Management and Science Division — which consists of archaeologists, hydrologists, wildlife biologists, and other highly educated professionals (https://www.sfgate.com/california-parks/article/yosemite-national-park-scientists-clean-bathrooms-20271616.php).

Each staffer is now expected to sign up for at least one bathroom cleaning shift from April 15 to May 4, per an internal email from acting Superintendent Stephanie Burkhart, according to The New York Post.

This isn't about pitching in during an emergency. This is planned and systematized. There's even a spreadsheet detailing morning and afternoon assignments. Employees must complete safety training, use personal protective equipment, and follow protocols laid out by the park's custodial team. According to an email reported by SFGate, park employees were told, "It takes two people about 2-3 hours to clean 5 restrooms in the morning and then again in the afternoon" — a full shift away from any scientific or technical work.

The Cost Breakdown That'll Make You Gag

Toilet cleaning at Yosemite pays around $16.23 per hour.

Meanwhile, a scientist at the National Park Service earns an average of $95,050 annually. That works out to about $45.70 an hour — nearly three times the cost of a janitor.

So, while park officials scramble to preserve the "exceptional visitor experience," taxpayers are now effectively paying top-dollar scientists to scrub toilets instead of conducting wildlife surveys or monitoring endangered species, as reported by The New York Post.

This setup might be legal — even admirable to some — but more efficient? Not even close.

Everyone's Got Something to Say

The image of biologists in gloves and face masks cleaning public restrooms has prompted outrage and smug satisfaction. For those who support government austerity and criticize overpaid bureaucrats, this is poetic justice. The ivory tower types finally get their hands dirty.

But for others, it's a symbol of governmental dysfunction. Ken Yager, founder of Yosemite Facelift — a volunteer group that organizes large-scale park cleanups — made his thoughts clear in a statement to SFGate, saying, "I'm curious about how far up the chain of command this goes. Is the superintendent expected to clean toilets? I don't want to insult anybody, but I'm curious. Are there division chiefs doing it? It seems to target the scientific community of the park service — the educated."

Yager also expressed criticism of non-park employees volunteering to clean the bathrooms saying, "I thought about doing that at first, and I decided not to. It's not sustainable. People need to see that custodial workers are needed."

Even among park employees, reactions are mixed. Some grumbled about leadership caving to political pressure. Others, surprisingly, embraced the shift. According to SFGate, after a sanitation training session, one employee said, "At the end of the training someone said, 'I'm proud to be wearing the same uniform as everyone else here, and I'm proud to be your colleague'."

Still, with Yosemite hosting up to 4 million visitors annually, concerns are mounting about the long-term viability of this strategy — especially as about half of the campgrounds are currently open.

What Does the Future Look Like?

According to the park's internal planning documents, portable toilets were considered but ultimately rejected. Officials claimed that it would compromise the visitor experience — even though restroom availability is already limited and staff are stretched thin.

Yet with another round of federal buyouts offered, probationary employees again vulnerable to termination, and seasonal hiring still lagging, some fear that more scientific staff could find themselves permanently on toilet detail.

In a country where government waste is a political punching bag and scientific expertise is supposedly revered; Yosemite has found a way to satisfy both the skeptics and the cynics.

One thing's clear — no one's walking out of this mess clean.

References: Park rangers, scientists handling bathroom cleanup duties at Yosemite amid DOGE freeze | Yosemite scientists now forced to clean bathrooms | Scientists forced to perform humiliating new job amid Trump cuts | Janitor salary in Yosemite National Park, CA | Scientist yearly salaries in the United States at U.S. National Park Service