Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
For all the danger the cold entails, it is also a saving grace. Low temperatures keep the monarchs inactive. Instead of flying around and burning lots of calories, when cold, they can dangle from the trees, use very little energy, and conserve their fat reserves for their remigration north in the spring. Like nearly frozen statues, monarchs wait out winter in a hibernation-like slumber." 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.
Eventually, there was nothing left to do but start. In January 2017, I braved a 52-hour bus ride from my hometown outside Kansas City, Kansas, followed by a two-day bike ride, to arrive at the parking lot of the El Rosario monarch sanctuary in Michoacán, Mexico.Dykman didn't see a monarch every day. What was more important was to find the people that could plant milkweed, restore habitat and help the monarchs. Sara’s Butterbikes is just one of her adventure-linked projects in Beyond a Book where she connects real-time adventures to classrooms. On her 2017 trip, she talked with over 9000 people, along with hundreds of interviews and thousands of roadside encounters. I spotted a few butterflies floating around, though not a crowd. Last year, monarch and red admiral butterflies were sparse after ongoing drought and untimely freezes that diminished their food supplies. It’s been a rough 10 days on our trees, and as I wrote this, another broken live oak limb slid from its perilous perch on the roof. But last week’s icy Mexican plum flowers? Good as new! This time, their little “ice cubes” protected them, ready to feed hungry bees and hover flies. 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.
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 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.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. One of Sara’s favorite things about monarchs is how they connect us all. “So often a person will be gardening in their yard and they’ll have just a small little garden and it can feel a little hopeless, right? Like, how is this little garden contributing to this huge problem?” she said. 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. 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. Alistair Humphreys, National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and author of The Doorstep Mile and Around the World by Bike
Great Deal 
New Comment