Ever since he was a kid, Joe Duckett, aka Nature Joe, has loved animals. Whenever he discovered a new creature, he would spend hours in the library finding out whatever he could about it. When he was old enough to become a camp counselor, he discovered that he could be an animal educator. And ever since, he has been introducing his Critter Cart full of snakes, parrots, tortoises, tarantulas, and other animals to kids at schools, libraries, and other facilities.

His aim is to teach kids how to respect and care for pets and wildlife, and hopefully help them develop some empathy for animals along the way. “People don’t know how to interact with animals; either they’re terrified of them or take them for granted. I basically teach that animals are cool and we should be nice to them,” he says.

In June, he’ll be bringing his entourage of two-, four-, and eight-leggeds to Mendocino County libraries. The schedule is as follows: Fort Bragg Library: June 24, 11 a.m.; Willits Library: June 24, 3 p.m.; Round Valley Library: June 25, 11 a.m.; and Ukiah Library: June 25, 3 p.m. All programs are free.

Find out more about Nature Joe at naturejoes.org and about Mendocino County library events at mendolibrary.org.