Synopses & Reviews
Science, nature, and adventure come together in this riveting account of a solo bike trip along the migratory path of the monarch butterfly.
Sara Dykman made history when she became the first person to bicycle alongside monarch butterflies on their storied annual migration — a round-trip adventure that included three countries and more than 10,000 miles. Equally remarkable, she did it solo, on a bike cobbled together from used parts.
In Bicycling with Butterflies — praised as "poetic" (Publishers Weekly) and called "a collective cry for climate action" (Booklist) — Dykman recounts her incredible journey. We're beside her as she navigates unmapped roads in foreign countries, checks roadside milkweed for monarch eggs, and shares her passion with eager schoolchildren, skeptical bar patrons, and unimpressed border officials. We also meet some of the ardent monarch stewards who supported her efforts, from citizen scientists and researchers to farmers and high-rise city dwellers.
With both humor and humility, Dykman offers a compelling story, confirming the urgency of saving the threatened monarch migration — and the other threatened systems of nature that affect the survival of us all.
Review
"The book is just as much a poetic travelogue as it is informative about monarch butterflies…It may be one singular bicyclist's word, but represents a collective cry for climate action." Booklist
Review
"People have long been fascinated by the monarch butterfly's migration across the North American continent. Thanks to this book, readers have a better idea of what that incredible journey entails." Library Journal
Review
"Told with a writer's eye for detail and a biologist's sensitivity to the fragile nature of the systems that support wildlife and humans…a keen observer of the human condition, Sara draws attention to some of the patterns in our society that are in conflict with the greater good. Her narrative is an important wake-up call for the need to stay connected to nature." Dr. Orley Taylor, director of Monarch Watch, Kansas Biological Survey
About the Author
Sara Dykman divides her time among seasonal amphibian research, outdoor education, and adventures. She created beyondabook.org to connect students to her adventures in order to foster lifelong learners, boundary pushers, explorers, and stewards.