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When Beavers Flew: An Incredible True Story of Rescue and Relocation
This fascinating picture book tells the unique, quirky, and true story of how one man in Idaho saved 76 beavers from destroying a town by parachuting them into uninhabited wetlands.In 1948, the town of McCall, Idaho was growing rapidly. World War II was over, and the little town tucked away in the mountains began to boom. There was only one problem. As the town expanded, they found beavers everywhere. A beaver here, a beaver there, and it didn’t take long to realize that humans and beavers weren’t great cohabitators. But one clever and resourceful Fish and Game Warden named Elmo Heter had an idea.Heter knew that the beavers were integral to the wetlands, so keeping the well-being of the beavers in mind he set out to find a way to relocate them. After a few failed attempts, he finally landed on a wild idea… parachutes. Using a surplus of parachutes left over from WWII and creating a special box with air holes designed to pop open when it hit the ground, Heter devised a way to parachute the beavers into Idaho’s backcountry, an area that beavers hadn’t inhabited in decades.Kirsten Tracy’s fascinating and playful nonfiction text pairs beautifully with Luisa Uribe’s detailed illustrations to bring this compelling true story to life.
Kindle Edition
Published July 23, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 3, 2024
Parachuting beavers is one of those fun factoids about idaho I love sharing with people! This book is an excellent way to share the story
I really like the indigenous representation and homage they put in this version too
I really like the indigenous representation and homage they put in this version too
October 29, 2025
A town in Idaho had a beaver problem in the late 1940s. A fish and game warden named Elmo Heter knew that beavers were ecologically important, and so decided to transport the beavers to another location to preserve the species. After unsuccessfully attempting to use mules and horses to move the beavers through the roadless wilderness, Elmo decided that airplanes were the way to go. He constructed boxes that would open upon impact and used surplus parachutes to safely drop the boxes (2 beavers per box) into their new location. The plan actually worked and the 75 relocated beavers thrived in their new environment and helped support waterways and diversify the local ecosystem.
This picture book recounts the tale of Elmo and shows the process he used to plan, test, and eventually carry out his mission. Pictures are okay, made with photoshop. Short sentences in each page. Backmatter includes an authors note and selected word cited. Good for lower elementary grades; kids will probably find the parachuting beavers cool. One beaver did die during the parachuting, but this detail is included in the authors note, not in the text. 36 pages.
This picture book recounts the tale of Elmo and shows the process he used to plan, test, and eventually carry out his mission. Pictures are okay, made with photoshop. Short sentences in each page. Backmatter includes an authors note and selected word cited. Good for lower elementary grades; kids will probably find the parachuting beavers cool. One beaver did die during the parachuting, but this detail is included in the authors note, not in the text. 36 pages.
November 13, 2025
Loved -- such a happy ending for the beavers!
November 27, 2024
As the author note in back indicates, this was a project ahead of its time "to use coexistence techniques to peacefully solve problems". This was referencing directly the mixed blessing of beaver presence, but can and should be carried through to most conflicts we have with nature and humans.
What are those mixed effects of beaver habitation? On the plus side, beavers reshape the environmental design of their habitat: expanding wetlands, gnawing down trees, inviting a vast array of other wildlife to the area's offerings, turning rivers and creeks into ponds and lakes.
On the negative side, see all of the above.
When McCall, Idaho, began to grow from a rustic, lightly populated area, the increasing beaver population was seen as detrimental- an intrusion on buildable land, destruction of newly planted greenery and trees, and concern about rapidly multiplying beaver populations. This is as much an account of Fish and Game Warden Elmo Heter as it is a recognition that the PRO side of beavers' engagements with nature can be managed successfully.
He realized that an excess of beavers would inevitably lead to a call to trap and kill them. His clever conception was to remove most of the beavers to an area in which they would benefit the environment, thrive in population, and allow local development with a manageable number of beavers to enhance that region naturally. His science and environmental background suggested non-invasive transport approaches (including pack mules!). The intended region for relocation was seriously inaccessible. Thinking "out of the box", he paired random information about excess parachutes available cheaply after the end of the war with brainstorming about ways to safely launch and land beavers into this wild paradise.
STEM and science processes take center stage as the minimal text and easily understood illustrations reveal multiple examples of the many "NO"s that preceded eventual success. (No beavers were harmed in the process.) Finally, enough variables and test runs and resulting escapes to freedom were considered before a single beaver, nicknamed GERONIMO, was flown, dropped, landed, and successfully "sprung". Repeated tests encouraged a full program.
The various field science elements that went into making this such a success are briefly but clearly mentioned- weighing, aging, pairing, and identifying drop areas all led to the wide population of beavers that now inhabit an extremely isolated conservation area. Their protection (and survival) are well-documented, shared now after years in which this project and its originator were generally untold. Geronimo and seventy-five fellow furry explorers transformed large swaths of what is now the largest protected roadless forest in continental United States. That's success on any scale.
What are those mixed effects of beaver habitation? On the plus side, beavers reshape the environmental design of their habitat: expanding wetlands, gnawing down trees, inviting a vast array of other wildlife to the area's offerings, turning rivers and creeks into ponds and lakes.
On the negative side, see all of the above.
When McCall, Idaho, began to grow from a rustic, lightly populated area, the increasing beaver population was seen as detrimental- an intrusion on buildable land, destruction of newly planted greenery and trees, and concern about rapidly multiplying beaver populations. This is as much an account of Fish and Game Warden Elmo Heter as it is a recognition that the PRO side of beavers' engagements with nature can be managed successfully.
He realized that an excess of beavers would inevitably lead to a call to trap and kill them. His clever conception was to remove most of the beavers to an area in which they would benefit the environment, thrive in population, and allow local development with a manageable number of beavers to enhance that region naturally. His science and environmental background suggested non-invasive transport approaches (including pack mules!). The intended region for relocation was seriously inaccessible. Thinking "out of the box", he paired random information about excess parachutes available cheaply after the end of the war with brainstorming about ways to safely launch and land beavers into this wild paradise.
STEM and science processes take center stage as the minimal text and easily understood illustrations reveal multiple examples of the many "NO"s that preceded eventual success. (No beavers were harmed in the process.) Finally, enough variables and test runs and resulting escapes to freedom were considered before a single beaver, nicknamed GERONIMO, was flown, dropped, landed, and successfully "sprung". Repeated tests encouraged a full program.
The various field science elements that went into making this such a success are briefly but clearly mentioned- weighing, aging, pairing, and identifying drop areas all led to the wide population of beavers that now inhabit an extremely isolated conservation area. Their protection (and survival) are well-documented, shared now after years in which this project and its originator were generally untold. Geronimo and seventy-five fellow furry explorers transformed large swaths of what is now the largest protected roadless forest in continental United States. That's success on any scale.
November 7, 2024
Author Kristen Tracy and illustrator Luisa Uribe create a fun and informative story for readers 6 to 9 (or older; I loved it and learned a lot).
This is a crazy-but true story of how one man (Idaho Fish and Game warden, Elmo Heter) had a wild idea to relocate the most ambitious dam-building beavers away from a growing town (McCall, ID) via the air! (My father grew up in Idaho in the 40s and 50s, so this makes me think of him even though his experience with nature was in and around Rexburg as a youth. He was outside primarily when pushing sprinkler pipes around potato fields when he was a teen so that he could earn a little cash.)
It was 1948, and Heter observed that there were surplus parachutes from World War II, which he tested first tested as a means to relocate a significant portion of McCall's beaver population to stop their interference with human development in their (the beavers') habitat.
He created crates with holes in it for breathing, but he made them so that once they landed on the ground, the walls of the crates would fall open, allowing the beavers to exit. He first tested his devices with sandbags. It appeared safe, so he tested with just a few beavers, and they were fine.
He ended up transporting 76 beavers into areas hospitable to them but far from human settlements. "Each time a box it the ground, it sprang open. Box after box. BONK! BONK! BONK!" Heter checked on them, and they did indeed create dams and dens for themselves in a place without human interference. "Today this is the Chamberlain Basin, now part of the Frank Church-Rive or No Return Wilderness. And it's populated with beavers once again. Just look at what those beavers built."
The art is watercolors and drawings of the landscape, the beavers, and the people, particularly Heter. You also see blueprints for Heter's parachuting crates. You get to see the problem and the solution illustrated as well as narrated.
The backmatter includes an author's note and selected sources.
This is a crazy-but true story of how one man (Idaho Fish and Game warden, Elmo Heter) had a wild idea to relocate the most ambitious dam-building beavers away from a growing town (McCall, ID) via the air! (My father grew up in Idaho in the 40s and 50s, so this makes me think of him even though his experience with nature was in and around Rexburg as a youth. He was outside primarily when pushing sprinkler pipes around potato fields when he was a teen so that he could earn a little cash.)
It was 1948, and Heter observed that there were surplus parachutes from World War II, which he tested first tested as a means to relocate a significant portion of McCall's beaver population to stop their interference with human development in their (the beavers') habitat.
He created crates with holes in it for breathing, but he made them so that once they landed on the ground, the walls of the crates would fall open, allowing the beavers to exit. He first tested his devices with sandbags. It appeared safe, so he tested with just a few beavers, and they were fine.
He ended up transporting 76 beavers into areas hospitable to them but far from human settlements. "Each time a box it the ground, it sprang open. Box after box. BONK! BONK! BONK!" Heter checked on them, and they did indeed create dams and dens for themselves in a place without human interference. "Today this is the Chamberlain Basin, now part of the Frank Church-Rive or No Return Wilderness. And it's populated with beavers once again. Just look at what those beavers built."
The art is watercolors and drawings of the landscape, the beavers, and the people, particularly Heter. You also see blueprints for Heter's parachuting crates. You get to see the problem and the solution illustrated as well as narrated.
The backmatter includes an author's note and selected sources.
February 26, 2025
This book starts in 1948 when a mountain town is booming and as it grows the people find beavers everywhere which they consider to be a "big, big problem." Elmo Heter, a Fish and Game warden, decides to move the beavers far away from people, but does acknowledge that "without beavers, wetlands and the animals that lived in them would disappear. He hoped to find a balance." After a previous attempt to relocate the beavers does not work, Elmo considers that there are "too many parachutes left over from World War II" and so he decides to "parachute-drop the beavers into Idaho's backcountry, returning them to an area the beavers hadn't inhabited in decades." I liked that the author's note in the back explains further that the beavers had been hunted to near extinction in this location and that is why Elmo's translocation plan was such a success. Tracy recognizes that "despite the good intentions, recent studies have shown that in many cases, moving these animals can cause more harm than good. Translocated animals often have to compete with other species for food and other resources in unfamiliar surroundings." I wish this important information had been included in the story, not just the author's note. This is an interesting true story that I was not previously familiar with and the illustrations are cute. Perhaps a good book recommendation for a child who loves beavers, but I probably will not use it for my beaver lesson plan as much of the focus is on Elmo. Beavers are looked at as nuisances more than I would like.
July 17, 2024
Progress often spells the demise of certain species as the needs of humans seem to come before the needs of animals. And even when caring individuals try to move those animals to another area in order to save them, those efforts often fail. This fascinating story of one man's clever solution to the conflict between beavers and the burgeoning human population in McCall, Idaho, in 1948 is an example of success. Idaho Fish and Game Warden Elmo Heter knew that the humans and beavers would conflict, and the beavers would lose so he transported 76 of them in boxes attached to parachutes and airlifted them to what would become the River of No Return Wilderness where the beavers flourished. Readers will be amazed at the lengths Heter went to insure the beavers would thrive, trying other modes of transportation, including pack mules, before hitting on the idea of flight. The text is lively, engaging, and just different enough ["Bonk! Bonk! Bonk!"] to intrigue youngsters interested in the environment, and the Adobe Photoshop illustrations lovingly portray this innovative conservationist, the beavers, and the rugged terrain as well as the effects beavers have on wetlands. It's interesting to ponder what those flying beavers thought once they were in their new home. This picture book makes a good read aloud choice as well as an excellent addition to a science classroom library.
September 18, 2024
This is one of those stories that proves that truth really is stranger than fiction.
In 1948 McCall, Idaho was growing and the beavers were hindering progress. Rather than exterminate the overzealous beavers, an industrious Fish and Game Warden named Elmo Heter was determined to relocate those beavers to a better habitat in the Chamberlain Basin. It was not easy. They couldn't just load those beavers in a truck and drive them over. When using horses was a bust, Elmo went back to the drawing board. They had extra parachutes left over from WW II. What if the beavers were flown in? Special boxes were designed and tested over and over to make sure they would safely open when touching the ground. A pioneer beaver named Geronimo was the final test. It was a go!
All in all, 75 beavers had a new home. They were free to build dams which would capture water, making pond and wetland habitat. With their help, the Chamberlain Basin has grown to be part of the largest unbroken wilderness in the lower forty-eight states and covers a total of 2,366,757 acres. While translocation isn't always the best option, in this case it was a huge success.
Share this story by Kristen Tracy complemented by the artistry of indigenous illustrator Luisa Uribe in your next study on animal habitats.
In 1948 McCall, Idaho was growing and the beavers were hindering progress. Rather than exterminate the overzealous beavers, an industrious Fish and Game Warden named Elmo Heter was determined to relocate those beavers to a better habitat in the Chamberlain Basin. It was not easy. They couldn't just load those beavers in a truck and drive them over. When using horses was a bust, Elmo went back to the drawing board. They had extra parachutes left over from WW II. What if the beavers were flown in? Special boxes were designed and tested over and over to make sure they would safely open when touching the ground. A pioneer beaver named Geronimo was the final test. It was a go!
All in all, 75 beavers had a new home. They were free to build dams which would capture water, making pond and wetland habitat. With their help, the Chamberlain Basin has grown to be part of the largest unbroken wilderness in the lower forty-eight states and covers a total of 2,366,757 acres. While translocation isn't always the best option, in this case it was a huge success.
Share this story by Kristen Tracy complemented by the artistry of indigenous illustrator Luisa Uribe in your next study on animal habitats.
September 1, 2024
This is such a fascinating story. Too often, animals “in the way” of humans are killed or relocated with no thought, so I was so happy to read this story about Elmo Heter and all the thoughtfulness he put into the beavers in Idaho and the success of his endeavor. I think this story allows for the reader to see that there can be successes in these incidences; however, it also shows how humans impact is negative on animals/the environment. It is going to be a great conversation book and a new aspect of history to most.
The full page illustrations are the cherry on the sundae of this book for me. Uribe’s additions bring the story to life and shows the reader important aspects that would be missed without their inclusion. I, personally, really liked that additions of the aspects of the scientific method that are shared in the illustrations. It makes it clear that Heter had a hypothesis, asked questions, did research, until he figured out a conclusion to be successful.
Full review with teaching tools: https://www.unleashingreaders.com/28084
The full page illustrations are the cherry on the sundae of this book for me. Uribe’s additions bring the story to life and shows the reader important aspects that would be missed without their inclusion. I, personally, really liked that additions of the aspects of the scientific method that are shared in the illustrations. It makes it clear that Heter had a hypothesis, asked questions, did research, until he figured out a conclusion to be successful.
Full review with teaching tools: https://www.unleashingreaders.com/28084
April 6, 2025
This is a terrific mostly-unknown story that Tracy tells wonderfully. In 1948 a town in Idaho was fast expanding and the building was clashing with the local residents - beavers! A local Fish and Game Warden wanted to save the beavers and strike a balance for both they and the citizens. He tried trapping them for re-location but the terrain made that extremely difficult. In true out-of-the-box thinking, Elmer Heter devised and ingenious plan to parachute beavers into the middle of a perfect isolated environment.
It took careful planning and engineering along with practice runs using a beaver named Geronimo but the plan was wildly successful.
This is a charming and inspiring tale of wildlife protection and human co-existence. Backmatter includes an excellent Author's Note with further information, sources and even photographs of Heter and the parachuting beavers.
This a great STEM book and one that the kids will love.
It took careful planning and engineering along with practice runs using a beaver named Geronimo but the plan was wildly successful.
This is a charming and inspiring tale of wildlife protection and human co-existence. Backmatter includes an excellent Author's Note with further information, sources and even photographs of Heter and the parachuting beavers.
This a great STEM book and one that the kids will love.
November 19, 2024
As far as children's nonfiction goes, this one really has it all. Not too dense, an interesting and engaging story, animals, human kindness and ingenuity, hard work, exceptional illustrations, relatable content, and more. When Beavers Flew tells a story of a fish and game warden who thought outside the box and worked hard to relocate (rather than just remove) beavers from his town ad development. It is a story of balance. Elmo's efforts included some failures, but his are for the creatures and world around him leaves us with a great success story and lots to learn about animals, our world around us, and the ways we approach difficulties. Just a stunning book.
Read as a nomination in the nonfiction book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).
Read as a nomination in the nonfiction book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).
September 14, 2024
Such a great story for kids to learn about the ecosystem services that beavers provide! Also an early and yet still resonant model for how to manage the initial conflict between human needs and animal needs on land. You can't help cheering for intrepid Idaho Fish and Game warden named Elmo Heter who transforms what could have been a terrible loss of life into the eco-renewal of a place that eventually became "the largest unbroken wilderness in the lower forty-eight states." A proud Idaho story that could guide us all; find out how Heter saved 76 beavers who were causing destruction in McCall, Idaho and flew them via plane and then parachute to a wilderness in need of their work!
September 12, 2024
When Beavers Flew is a well-done nonfiction informational picture book by Kristen Tracy. It retells the true story of how a Fish and Game Warden Elmo Herter helped the town of McCall, ID get rid of a beaver problem by dropping beavers away from a town in the nearby wilderness. The reader learns how Herter developed special boxes attached to old parachutes were used to move the beavers. It resulted in an improved wilderness area and a town free from the beavers. The Idaho wilderness is beautifully illustrated by Luisa Uribe.
November 14, 2025
A picture book decscribes the true story of how, in 1948, innovative Idaho Fish and Game warden Elmo Heter used leftover WWII parachutes to translocate beavers from the boomtown of McCall to the Chamberlain Basin, where they helped restore the ecosystem’s balance.
An interesting slice of history that's finely told; Tukudika artwork depicted on a boulder in one of the spreads as an homage to the area’s Native inhabitants. Includes author’s note, Selected sources, a few photographs, and acknowledgements.
An interesting slice of history that's finely told; Tukudika artwork depicted on a boulder in one of the spreads as an homage to the area’s Native inhabitants. Includes author’s note, Selected sources, a few photographs, and acknowledgements.
September 7, 2024
This was fascinating! The text is very engaging and explains things well, and the illustrations are lovely. There's also additional information in the backmatter at the end, along with a couple of historic photographs. I enjoyed the science facts and the clever problem-solving, and found this really inspiring.
April 2, 2025
This true story of the rehoming of 76 Beavers (38 couples) from a farm community to what would become the largest protected forest in Idaho, is retold through cleverly formatted pages and wonderful illustrations. A great read for children who are interested in non-fiction picture books, animals, science and human perseverance.
Recommended for ages 6 to 10 by the SEPA Book Reviewers
Recommended for ages 6 to 10 by the SEPA Book Reviewers
October 6, 2025
Another childrens' book about planting beavers in the mountains of Washington in the '50s. The book misses the child, though it is right on the facts. Its seems to be more the people than the beavers, and while this is interesting, it is not as intriging to children as it could be if it focused more on the beavers themselves.
October 18, 2025
After stories of animals being killed because they were inconvenient to humans, this is a beautiful and refreshing story. Harmony, relocation, scientific experiments and planning, et cetera. Elmo planned to make sure that the wildlife in the Great Basin would benefit from the move. Very wonderful story about endurance and research providing positive outcomes to all parties (including animals!)
October 3, 2024
This was an interesting look at the way that beavers fit into a larger ecosystem. I had no idea that this is where the term "Geronimo" comes from. It's a great selection for young readers who are interested in both animals and conservation efforts.
December 21, 2024
Excellent narrative nonfiction picture book about a forward thinking Idaho Fish and Game warden. His amazing plan to relocate beavers was successful and the positive results are still being realized almost 80 years later.
December 23, 2024
A cute book about relocating beavers away from human settlements in Idaho into a valley inaccessible to most people. I appreciated the afterwards that talked in more detail about the challenges and considerations of animal relocation.
January 16, 2025
This is a completely new story for me! I really like how the author acknowledges that we now know that relocation usually doesn’t end well for the animal, but this was a special case. Overall, a really great book.
April 16, 2025
Such a cool story! I'd love to learn more about these beavers and the fellow who helped them.
A good book if your children are just learning about conservation? Or how humans should learn to care for the animals, while still taking care of themselves?
A good book if your children are just learning about conservation? Or how humans should learn to care for the animals, while still taking care of themselves?
October 25, 2024
A fascinating true story about problem solving and parachuting beavers!
October 30, 2024
Facinating true story! Gr3at book!
December 12, 2024
Beavers rock, and sometimes humans do too.
June 6, 2025
A really neat non fiction story that I don’t think a lot of people are aware of
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews