Her anecdotes about travelling as a single female on a bike and finding places to camp were interesting. Dykman's transformation as she follows the kaleidoscope of butterflies is a wonder to observe as it unfolds [...] Her writing is frank, uplifting, informative, and gorgeous." Thanks to NetGalley, Timber Press Inc., and the author, Sara Dykman, for the opportunity to read a digital copy in exchange for this review. After decades of pursuing the pleasures of cycling, I’m convinced that riding with an intent, an objective of some sort, adds meaning and value. This conviction is clearly shared by Sara Dykman, a serious cyclist and inquiring environmental scientist as well. And it’s clearly in evidence in the story of her engrossing cycling adventure, which she shares in Bicycling with Butterflies. This is a conflicted review. I loved the story of what she did, but I was completely turned off by her attitude about Monarch Conservation.

The print book reveals new dimensions of Ms. Dykman’s story. That came as no surprise; from the audiobook I already knew her as an attention-to-detail person. The front matter dedication, “To the monarchs,” displays her own beautiful pen-and-ink drawing. There is a route map, an illustration of the monarch’s migration routes (yes, there are more than one), and an excellent index in the end matter. Each chapter opens with the number of days, dates and miles covered; she kept a journal and it shows. Monarchs are ectothermic (cold-blooded) animals. Their body temperature matches that of their environment. The colder the temperature, the colder monarchs get, and the more inactive they become. For much of the winter, being cold is an energetic advantage, yet, if monarchs get too cold, they risk freezing. They must employ strategies to limit exposure to the coldest extremes. For this reason, monarchs tend to occupy the sunnier, south-facing slopes of the forest, and they form clusters under the forest canopy. In such clusters, they are protected by both the trees and the butterfly bodies that make up the outer edges of each mass (a bit like penguins). Bicycling with Butterflies is notable for its interesting story and even more so for the fascinating lore about monarch butterflies, milkweed, and other aspects of natural life, but Dykman wants to do more than simply share what she has learned. She wants us to care about the monarchs, the plants, and the other living creatures, including the human ones, and to take better care of the world in which we all live. Books like hers can make a difference. It belongs in every public and school library and on everyone’s Must Read list. The quote below sums up some of what I find so important about learning more about the world around us .

Route

The group estimates that the population of monarch butterflies in North America has declined between 22% and 72% over 10 years, depending on the measurement method. Including El Rosario, Mexico shelters between seven and 18 known overwintering monarch colonies every winter. The number varies because smaller colonies are not consistently occupied and new colonies are still being discovered. Four of the colonies are open to the public: Piedra Herrada and Cerro Pelón in the State of Mexico, and Sierra Chincua and El Rosario in the neighboring state of Michoacán. a long trip is nothing more than a collection of miles. If I could bike one mile, then I could bike two. If I could bike two, then I could bike 10,000. 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…Dykman’s enthusiasm will motivate others to be more thoughtful about their decisions.” —Library Journal

The challenges of the cold are most acute for ground-stranded monarchs. As temperatures drop, ectothermic monarchs become unable to move and can’t seek out microclimates, such as tree trunks. Monarchs must be at least 41 degrees F to crawl and 55 degrees F to fly (known as their flight threshold). There’s plenty of emotion too. Sara loses her cool. She shows her anger at habitat destruction, bad decisions, and industrial mowers cutting down vegetation despite the presence of monarch eggs. She challenges the notion that 'composed apathy' is dignified while speaking the truth is considered unbecoming. She documented her solitary 10,201-mile journey in Bicycling with Butterflies, a real-life adventure story of bravery, commitment, friendships, hardships, plain old spunk, and self-discovery. Can you imagine living for months on what you could haul on a bike? No smartphone. Often no internet connection, shower, or market in sight through rain, brutal heat, and freezing cold. Just like the monarchs.

Each time a tree falls in the monarchs’ overwintering forest, a hole is torn in their blanket and punched through their umbrella. These disturbances—logging, disease, windstorms, fire—allow heat to escape and moisture to enter, creating a dangerous combination. Most books about bicycles are either about (1) repair and maintenance, (2) racing, or (3) the guys who race them. It's far more unique to find a book that (1) discusses what to do when you break down on the road, (2) touring, not racing, and (3) is written by a woman. One of my favorite books of the year! Dykman does an excellent job of telling the unique account of her daring trip following the monarch butterfly migration through North America on bike. Sara’s hope and vision is “That we can start to see the world and share the world with monarchs, and we can share the world with cyclists. And we can also share the world with people that don’t look like me, with people of color that might feel too scared for a good reason to camp behind a church. I think the monarchs helped me see that. And I think the more we can see and the more we can see the world through the perspective of different people and different animals and different plants, the healthier the world will be for everyone.”

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. Alistair Humphreys, National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and author of The Doorstep Mile and Around the World by Bike You can truly feel the passion Dykman has for these butterflies, which is the most inspiring part of this book, although the fact that she biked 10,000 miles was also incredibly inspiring and made me feel that if someone can do that, I can also achieve my goals.

Training

As Dykman states, “humans keep taking, and wildlife keeps trying to make do.” Go ahead and read the book, then join your voice with the others. “Do it for the monarchs.” Sara Dykman decided to follow the migratory path of the monarch butterfly....on her bike! What an epic undertaking. Along the way she encounters bugs, beasties, people and most importantly monarch butterflies. I was vaguely aware that the monarch is having a rough go at surviving over the past few years but I didn't have much information and honestly I hadn't made an effort to learn anything. Thanks to a friend who gave me this book for Christmas, I'm now more informed. The importance of milkweed to the survival of the beautiful butterfly, the lifecycle and evening tagging (who knew you could tag a butterfly) were fascinating. Sara Dykman writes about her great adventures, riding her bicycle, chasing butterflies, and sharing her insights into the wonderful world of the Monarch butterfly. Bicycling with Butterflies is one of my favorite books that I have read in the past year. Genuine, inspiring, and enlightening. Her effort and consistent drive help us understand an important figure in the air and in plant life. She researched all of her places to visit while communicating with other experts. Her presentations of butterfly stories to kids and teachers make her journeys more worthwhile. PDF / EPUB File Name: Bicycling_with_Butterflies_-_Sara_Dykman.pdf, Bicycling_with_Butterflies_-_Sara_Dykman.epub Dykman's story is very inspiring, and while reading this book I found myself researching which species of Milkweed was native to my area and how I can plant some in my garden. I also want to plan a trip to the Monarch reserves in Mexico as soon as I am able. Her descriptions about the monarchs and their cyclical life are magical and captivating. The point of this book was to spread awareness about Monarchs and to make people care more about their plight, and it definitely achieves that goal.

Doubt is as much of an adversary on a long trip as tired muscles are. However, just as legs can be conditioned to carry one farther, a mind can be conditioned, too. The key, at least for me, was to ignore the big picture. Never project thousands of miles into the future. Instead, think about the next mile, the next town, or (best of all) the next meal. In this way, I could confront small distances, and celebrate strings of tiny victories that would soon add up. 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 [...] Dykman's enthusiasm will motivate others to be more thoughtful about their decisions."I listened to this as an audiobook which I think is the only way I finished this book. It was an interesting listen but I don't think I could have read it without falling asleep. I found deeply touching the moments Dykman spent having personal connections with creatures encountered along the path. In those passages, I found the invitation to look into the mirror Dykman was holding up, to show us how we can find ourselves in every living creature and become motivated to take action. What a wonderful idea for an adventure! Absolutely inspired, timely, and important.” —Alistair Humphreys, National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and author of The Doorstep Mile and Around the World by Bike Half lost at dusk, trying to avoid the main highway, I wandered through a partially built housing complex. I passed through the gates boldly, unimpressed by subdivision names like Prairie Villas and Meadow Oasis. No one was outside to stop me. No one was awake enough to see what we were losing: true prairie in exchange for a “prairie villa.” We were trading a real prairie’s treasury of life for a toxic monoculture of sterile green grass." Queen butterflies absolutely cannot resist Gregg’s mistflower ( Conoclinium greggii), a perennial that blooms in fall but sometimes at other times, too. Here’s how to tell the difference between queen and monarch butterflies.