Bicycling with Butterflies: My 10,201-Mile Journey Following the Monarch Migration

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The author, Sara Dykman, takes you with her as she pedals her bike10,201 miles following the Monarch butterfly migration. If I, a fellow scientist and monarch lover, wanted to stop reading because of Sara's behavior, how much more would a butterfly novice be inclined to not only put the book away, but to ignore Sara's greater message of conservation? There were a few times when she was drawing parallels between her own experiences on the journey and social justice issues such as immigration and racism where I felt she could have expanded more rather than just throwing in a sentence or two - but I also appreciated the awareness of the challenges she didn't face because of citizenship and race.

S. State Department has recently issued a “Do Not Travel” advisory for Michoacan due to crime and kidnapping of tourists. The way she describes the monarchs is magical and her appreciation for nature shines through on every page. Over time, my plan morphed and grew—until I no longer wanted to just visit the migrants, but to accompany them by bicycle on their great migration.Very nice, an examination of the migration landscapes more than the butterflies, which is perfect given the transformations that must occur to make the land healthy for all.

The book is a lament for our thoughtless destruction of nature and at the same time a celebration of the beauty that remains. For her, it was more than a way to experience the monarchs' travel; it was a project to raise awareness. The quote below sums up some of what I find so important about learning more about the world around us . As she has done in previous cross-country bike rides, Sara Dykman takes this epic trip to draw attention to the threat posed to the monarch butterfly. The migration of the monarch butterflies is one of the wonders of the world—we must save it for future generations.As I sit here listening to the singing of the 17-year cicadas and contemplate this book, I can't help but wish I could meet the author and just spend a little time with her. That tour, a month of 40-mile days up the East Coast, taught me a useful truth: a long trip is nothing more than a collection of miles. To raise awareness about the decline of monarch buttefly population, Dykman embarked on a solo bike trip more than 10,000 miles long. In pantomime, I caught the attention of a group looking up, their footsteps unguarded, and reminded them to tread slower, more deliberately.

Of course there were many passionate monarch people but I was captivated by the folks who didn't really know anything. While she often says her behavior or anger were unjustified, these rants and entitled moments made me want to stop reading. Shivering, like diverting blood from extremities and increasing metabolism, helps endothermic animals maintain a warmer temperature in the cold. I would never consider doing a nine-month bike trip, but I’m happy Dykman did and made it home safely,* and that she shared the experience with us in Bicycling with Butterflies.In 2013, crossing Mexico by bike for the first time, a friend and I entertained the idea of visiting the monarchs at their overwintering sites. For most of us, the tale of a 32-year-old woman taking off alone on her bicycle to ride from Mexico to Canada and the east coast of the United States and back to Mexico is amazing in itself, and the narrative of her trip and the sights she sees along the way is very enjoyable.