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 celebrated my birthday and my survival by ending my day long before the sun did. After sixty-five car-crazed miles, my mind, legs, and butt were all pleading, STOP!

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. Starting from the El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Preserve in Michoacán, Mexico in March 2017—sometimes with unreliable maps or no map at all—she kept her eyes on the true road ahead. “The goal of my butterfly bicycle trip was to be a voice for the monarch and to really tell people that they need our help. The monarchs need us to share our yards with them. And of course, halfway through my trip, I realized I had a lot to say and I had a lot of opinions. And often I was a little, I was very angry. I shouldn’t say a little. I was very angry at the state of the planet and how much we’ve stolen from the monarchs and how we just refuse to share,” she told us. The author’s account is peppered with events and encounters both memorable and humorous. Her story comes alive through descriptions of details of life on the trail: ensuring her tent will not flood when rain is on the horizon—and dealing with it when it happens, setting up camp in places as unlikely as a commercial parking lot, finding her own brand of “sandwiches” (ingredients eaten one after the other instead of combined between two pieces of bread) less time consuming to prepare after a long, exhausting day, and doing laundry in a shower stall. According to said map, I had to leave the sanctuaries, go east toward a town with a name I couldn’t pronounce, and take the first left after crossing from the state of Michoacán to the state of Mexico. Easy—right? 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.

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Book Genre: Adventure, Animals, Autobiography, Biography Memoir, Environment, Memoir, Nature, Nonfiction, Science, Travel The butterflies flew, and since I couldn’t fly, I biked. After so much planning, so much dreaming, so much work, I was officially butterbiking with the butterflies. The name of my project, Butterbike, finally made sense. And then, she uplifts us with so much joy and encouragement that we look around our gardens and say, “I can do this!” 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."

Also- I enjoyed how she touched on what it was like to ride solo as a woman, and how she was discouraged by many people from doing so because it was 'dangerous' yet most of the people and situations that she encountered were friendly. She didn't let fear-mongering get in her way. She was smart about risks and made good choices along the way. But I was able to bike between all these gardens and I was able to see, wow, that garden plus that garden and plus that garden adds up. And I’ve actually come to see the monarch as sort of a symbol for this idea that small is big. . . If all you can do is go outside, they’re going to grace you with their presence and everyone can help, which is not something we can do for a lot of animals.” I have rather mixed feelings on this book. I studied monarchs for two years in college, so I was immediately drawn to this book and what it stands for. Sara includes a number of facts about monarchs and their natural history, which I really appreciate, and I enjoyed reading about her travels, both the struggles and the triumphs. There are some points in the story where Dykman gets a little preachy about conservation, but it is one of her passions, so that could be excused. It’s not overwhelming, and I actually finished this book admiring her dedication to her cause.Alistair Humphreys, National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and author of The Doorstep Mile and Around the World by Bike 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. Additionally, she goes on political rants about topics that, in my opinion, are a complete tangent to the story. Meanwhile, she feels entitled to break rules and camp where she pleases, even getting an attitude with those who call her out for camping where she shouldn't be. Thanks to NetGalley, Timber Press Inc., and the author, Sara Dykman, for the opportunity to read a digital copy in exchange for this review.

Along the way, she trusted her instincts, relied on the kindness of others, and followed the science. Challenges occurred yet Dykman persisted with determination and a strong sense of purpose. 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. 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. A large majority of people want this, and we should not trust people who don’t. It’s just a devastating decline,” said Stuart Pimm, an ecologist at Duke University who was not involved in the new listing. “This is one of the most recognizable butterflies in the world.”As you read this book, you realize this is not just a travel memoir based in science but also a model for persuasive outreach and education through personal connection and heartfelt storytelling. Sara is a very remarkable women to ride as far as she did by herself. We never knew where she would end up sleeping at the end of the day. It could be in the woods or in a strangers home. During her ride she even did presentations of her journey. Whether it was speaking at a school or simply to a group of kids she would come across. The book is just as much a poetic travelogue as it is informative about monarch butterflies. Dykman's research keenly supplements her experiences on the road [...] it may be one singular bicyclist's word, but represents a collective cry for climate action." 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.