Bicycling with Butterflies

Bicycling with Butterflies: My 10,201-Mile Journey Following the Monarch Migration is one of the most amazing and heart felt books I have read in a long time. I followed sara's journey journey on Google maps as I read along. I enjoyed all her adventures and the wonderful people she met along the way. It is so inspiring to hear about the good people who are focussed on conservation and who are willing to spend their time saving the Monarch butterflies and the planet in general. It has also been a wonderful education for me to learn the details of these amazing creatures and their long migration. It has also highlighted the delicate balance of everything, and how the little things we do (often ignorantly) can affect the gentle balance of the planet.. I loved the writing style and the balance and structure of the book. A wonderful book, an amazing journey, and an outstanding lady who had the inspiration and the shear grit to do it. This book and the wonderful monarch butterflies will stay in my heart for a long long time even though I am on the other side of the world. I hope the world will embrace and read this book and take the spirit of it into other adventures and creative ideas for conservation and making a difference to our beautiful planet. xx

A must read for any cyclists and environmentalists. This story of Sara's incredible journey following the monarch migration is beautifully written and narrative enjoyable to read. Sara did an incredible job of being informative while entertaining, allowing us along the ride to meet the kind people putting in the work, and clarifying the delicate balance of our ecosystem.
Looking forward to seeing this on the shelves and recommending to others. Thank you so much for your book sara!

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.

A simple expectation derived out of genuine interest to protect a threatened species compels her to write with vigor as much as she pedals across two countries. Balancing writing and pedaling can be exhausting. With regards to bush camping or camo-camping, congrats to Sara for her free will to exercise a natural right to rest in nature. Most people will never achieve this type of greatness and in the name of an insect, I fully respect and admire her determination and reason to ride and write. Ride and write on Sara!

Thank you to Sara and Timber Press for the copy to review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Timber Press for ARC of this!

This was both interesting and depressing to hear about how these beautiful creatures and their impressive migration are at risk from the behavior of humans. The author notes that her privilege keeps her safe and able to complete her journey at a few points, but I was struck by it so many times. I don’t know if it’s an idea that our society has forced into me, but the times that she chooses to camp in private property had me feeling icky. Overall this was an impressive feat and an interesting story.

“Humans keep taking, and wildlife keeps trying to make do.”

“With understanding comes appreciation. Appreciation motivates action.”

“I tried to give space to that which I couldn’t yet imagine, to encourage just enough discomfort for an adventure to unfold.”

“Millions of monarch butterflies… Millions- clinging to the trees like shelved books waiting to be read; their stories of adventure painted on their wings.”


Wow- this book is pure magic. This book follows the beautiful multigenerational journey of the monarchs as they migrate from Mexico to Canada and back again. The author, Sara Dykman, follows the migration path of the monarch butterfly on her bicycle, documenting her 10,201 mile journey. It truly is magical to hear about the migration of these tiny creatures. She talks about the people she meets along the way and their impact on the monarch migration. While a decent portion of the book is about the very real troubles that the monarchs face, such as habitat loss, pesticide use, and other human impacts, she balances that with hope for the future. You meet teachers, farmers, and people that are benefiting the monarchs by planting milkweed, providing habitats, or educating others about the beauty around them. This book was filled with hope, adventure, and a sense of wonder about the world of butterflies and their uncertain future. It was really fun to read a book written by someone who so clearly finds joy in nature and living creatures. That joy is infectious and makes you want to go out and explore; to spend time with the tiny living things all around you- often overlooked and underappreciated. I hope that everyone who reads this is inspired to make small changes that have huge impacts.