PLEASE NOTE-part one was posted on 2/23/23. You might have missed it!
Back in Kansas from Mexico, Sara Dykman author of Bicycling with Butterflies, stops at her parents' home to get ready to continue her journey following the Monarchs. To avoid traffic, she rides on the back roads heading North to Omaha. While in Omaha, she talks to a third-grade class about the Monarchs and looks at the garden they have planted. While exploring the garden, they see a Monarch. As Ms Dykman continues her ride along the border of Iowa and Minnesota she spots a monarch- the first on a dandelion after several days into her trip. In the Twin Cities she sees an orange and black butterfly called a Viceroy (Limenitis archippus). This butterfly is a copycat butterfly that resembles the Monarchs. During her next stop, she spots about 24 Monarchs.
Leaving Lake Superior, Michigan she sees milkweed and stops to inspect to find any evidence of the Monarchs being there. Unfortunately, none were found on the milkweed. As she is riding back on paved roads trying to avoid the traffic in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan a storm hovers, but she continues until the sky opens and she is forced to stop. Once the sky clears, she heads North to the Canadian border.
While in Canada, she meets with organizations that are trying to save the Monarchs. Ms. Dykman talks to several groups of school children and shows them pictures she has taken on her journey.
On her journey, she faces many difficulties as she travels from Kansas to Mexico to Canada and back to Mexico again where it all started.
If you want to read more about her experience of 255 days, 9 month and over 10,000 miles-take a look at her book.