Gilbert said it had a plan for the wildlife in Freestone Park during its multi-million-dollar renovation of the park's north and south lakes.
The lakes are being drained as part of a nearly $62 million town-wide project renovate the nine lakes. The projects will replace lake liners, remove sediment, upgrade pumps, according to a town project page.
Town officials told residents during a community meeting in May that the ducks and turtles that call the lakes home would be moved ahead of construction.
"We took them at their word," said Joann Hansen, who has lived next to the park since 1995.
However, in the months since that meeting, residents have increasingly questioned whether the town's plan was sufficient and pushed officials to bring in outside
help to protect the ducks and turtles at Freestone Park.
As animals started dying and residents scrambled to save as many as they could, some are questioning whether Gilbert could have done more to protect the animals as part of the lake renovation project.
At least 11 ducks have died of an unknown illness, town spokesperson Joanna Guzman said in an email.
"There didn't have to be as much death, decay and disruption," Hansen said.
What was Gilbert's plan for Freestone Park?
Gilbert worked with the Arizona Department of Game and Fish to develop its wildlife plan during the project's planning stages in 2025, Guzman said
Gilbert has also been working with the Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary, a non-profit that rescues and provides care for reptiles., including turtles and snakes.
The group agreed to take up to 30 turtles for long-term care during the lake renovation, Guzman said.
The Department of Game and Fish worked with Gilbert in an advisory capacity, but did not help draft a physical, written plan, said department spokesperson Michael Colaianni.
The initial plan was the birds and ducks would naturally relocate after the lakes were drained and the animals' water and food sources were removed during construction, according to a town project page.
Some of the ducks, however, were domesticated pets abandoned by their owners, meaning they couldn't fly and wouldn't relocate on their own.
Crystal's Critter Haven, a non-profit animal rescue and rehabilitation organization, was brought in by members of the community in July to help care for the domestic ducks, said Crysal White, the non-profit's founder.
White started an online fundraising campaign in late July to help fund the duck rescue effort, which has since shifted to raise funds to help care for the lakes' turtles.
Gilbert later approved compensating White's organization for its rescue efforts, but she said it wouldn't be enough to cover vet bills, food, water and shelter.
The group is 100% volunteer run, and neither White nor her colleagues take a salary, she said.
The town also paused restocking the lakes with fish to reduce the population ahead of dredging, Guzman said.
Gilbert residents start pushing back
Hansen's concerns about the town's plans started shortly after the May meeting when she struck up a conversation with one of the construction workers while walking her dog in the park.
Hansen said she asked about the plan for the animals. She was told the ducks would just fly away, but that the turtles couldn't be relocated.
The specific type of turtle, the red-eared slider, is not native to Arizona and mainly wound up in the lake from people dumping them as pets, White said.
Hansen said the conversation prompted her to do research about ways to save the turtles, which is when she came across White's work housing turtles and ducks for the Selleh Park Pond project in Tempe.
White and other volunteers were able to house 51 turtles and 7 ducks during the six-month renovation process in 2025.
"It's been done before. We have a model now. It's not just something we're thinking of," Hansen said.
Hansen and other community members proposed the Selleh Park example during a meeting with town officials in July.
She said town officials definitely listened but appeared non-committal.
Members of the community repeatedly called and emailed town officials pushing for more action, said Kelly Zernich, a Gilbert resident involved in the organizing effort.
Zernich credited Gilbert Parks and Recreation Director Mike Elliot for being responsive to residents by returning phone calls and texts.
"He's really good at 'I understand,' but I want the action behind those conversations," she said.
White's group was able to rescue about 50 ducks, however, as of Sept. 28 she was told contractors would be handling the remainder of the turtle relocations.
Any turtles found during construction will be turned over to either Crystal's Critters or the Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary, town spokesperson Abigail Baggs said in an email.
"We greatly appreciate the assistance and guidance from volunteers at Crystal’s Critter Haven and all the organizations involved," she said.
A representative for the Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary said the group is no longer working with the Town of Gilbert on its Freestone Park project.
Representatives for the group did not respond to a follow up email asking for more information.
Representatives for the Town of Gilbert did not respond to a request for more information about to clarify the herpetological sanctuary's involvement.
What residents want now
Both Zernich and Hansen said they're not trying to beat up town officials for the handling of the project. They instead want town officials to acknowledge their mistakes and apply those lessons to future park projects.
Hansen suggested the town could organize a focus group to get input on what Gilbert could improve on going forward.
Zernich suggested the town have more regular community updates to keep residents informed about what's happening with the town's park projects.
"What's done is done," Zernich said. "Apologize, fix it, make up for the damage, and never do it again," she said.
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Reporter Harrison Mantas, who covers Mesa, Gilbert, Queen Creek and San Tan Valley, can be reached at hmantas@azcentral.com or 602-444-2506. Follow him on X @HarrisonMantas or Instagram @harrisonmantas.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: When AZ city park project killed animals, residents jumped in
