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Sara Dykman

Sara Dykman is a biologist, writer, outdoor educator, and adventurer who has spent over twenty years chasing frogs across the Americas. She made history as the first person to bicycle alongside monarch butterflies on their annual migration — a 10,201-mile, three-country journey. She also founded beyondabook.org to connect students to her adventures and foster lifelong learners and explorers.
Biographical details sourced from Hachette Book Group.
On LuvemBooks, we've reviewed Bicycling with Butterflies.
1
Books Reviewed

In Sara Dykman's own words

Author Sara Dykman shares stories, photographs, and a reading from her memoir 'Bicycling with Butterflies' during a virtual event with Gibson's Bookstore.

Uploaded by Gibson's Bookstore, 2021 · Watch on YouTube ·

Also in conversation

Also in this interview

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

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

4.5/5

reader rating · 593 ratings

Sara Dykman's account of her 2017 ride tracing the monarch migration 10,201 miles from Mexico to Canada and back — the first person ever to do so — pairs solo-adventure storytelling with accessible science and conservation advocacy. A 2021 National Outdoor Book Award winner, endorsed by Jane Goodall.

Reviewed Sep 26, 2026

Ask LuvemBooks about Sara Dykman

With 1 book reviewed on LuvemBooks, Sara Dykman is a biologist and adventurer whose writing pairs solo-adventure storytelling with accessible science and conservation advocacy. Bicycling with Butterflies recounts their record-setting 10,201-mile ride tracing the monarch migration from Mexico to Canada and back — the first time anyone made that journey by bike — and it holds a 4.5/5 reader rating on Amazon.
Where should I start?
Start with Bicycling with Butterflies — it's the only Sara Dykman book we've reviewed, and it's their best-known work. The book won a 2021 National Outdoor Book Award and carries an endorsement from Jane Goodall, and it holds a 4.5/5 reader rating from 593 Amazon ratings. It's an ideal entry point whether you're drawn to adventure memoir or nature writing.
What's their writing style?
Based on Bicycling with Butterflies, Dykman writes in a memoir mode that blends first-person solo-adventure storytelling with science a general reader can absorb. Their background as a biologist shows in how naturally the conservation material sits inside the travel narrative — advocacy emerges from the miles ridden rather than from argument. The result is nature writing anchored in physical experience.
Books we've reviewed
We've reviewed 1 book by Sara Dykman. Bicycling with Butterflies recounts their 2017 ride tracing the monarch migration 10,201 miles from Mexico to Canada and back — the first person ever to do so — pairing adventure storytelling with accessible science and conservation advocacy. It won a 2021 National Outdoor Book Award, is endorsed by Jane Goodall, and holds a 4.5/5 reader rating from 593 Amazon ratings.
What genre do they write?
Sara Dykman writes memoir, specifically adventure and nature writing grounded in their work as a biologist. Bicycling with Butterflies sits at the intersection of travel memoir, popular science, and environmental advocacy. If you like expedition narratives with a conservation backbone, that's their lane.
What should I read after Bicycling with Butterflies?
Bicycling with Butterflies is the only Sara Dykman book we've reviewed, so there's no next Dykman title in our coverage yet. Within the book itself, the conservation thread — and Dykman's work with beyondabook.org — offers a natural next step for readers who want to stay engaged with monarch protection. Check this page again as we expand our coverage.
Why is Bicycling with Butterflies significant?
The book documents a genuine first: no one had ever bicycled the full monarch migration before Dykman's 2017 ride of 10,201 miles across three countries. It won a 2021 National Outdoor Book Award and is endorsed by Jane Goodall, and readers have responded strongly — it holds a 4.5/5 reader rating from 593 Amazon ratings.
Who is Sara Dykman?

Who is Sara Dykman?

Sara Dykman is a biologist, writer, outdoor educator, and adventurer who has spent over twenty years chasing frogs across the Americas. They made history as the first person to bicycle alongside monarch butterflies on their annual migration — a 10,201-mile, three-country journey — and founded beyondabook.org to connect students to their adventures and foster lifelong learners and explorers.

Follow up

What is the monarch migration journey they completed?
What is beyondabook.org?

Synthesized from verified book data & published reviews · How we review

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