DOWAGIAC — Finding books at the Dowagiac District Library is not out of the ordinary, but on Monday, creatures from the Kalamazoo Nature Center could also be found among the paperbacks and hardcovered editions.

The event, “A Universe at Your Front Door,” sponsored by the Dowagiac Conservation Club, welcomed a program ran by the Kalamazoo Nature Center.

As the environmental facilitator, Cheyenne Gandy unpacked her supplies, including a blue bucket labeled “live animals,” 25 children gathered around her eager to see what she brought.

As the program was tailored to a similar theme as the library’s summer reading program, “A Universe of Stories,” Gandy opened the event by asking the audience to pretend they were on a spaceship and looking for a place to live.

Volunteers were selected to hold up photos of each planet and answered questions about if life could sustain itself on each of the planets.

While some planets were too hot, too cold or too dry, the children unanimously agreed Earth was the only place the group could survive.

After the group returned to Earth, Gandy said she would introduce one animal from each category: mammals, reptiles, amphibians and vertebras.

To kick off the introductions of the animal ambassadors, Gandy took out a plastic box containing two Madagascar hissing cockroaches, which represented the vertebras. Although you would not find them in Michigan, the animals were donated to the nature center.

“Now we breed them at the nature center,” Gandy said. “The difference between the male and female is the males have longer antennas and these two veins they feel around with.”

Gandy explained how the cockroaches have tiny spikes to grasp onto surfaces, as the male cockroach clung to her hand.

After putting away the cockroaches, Gandy pulled out a spray bottle and got her hands wet before spraying the next animal with some water.

“Amphibians take in moisture through their skin,” Gandy said, as she picked up a tiger salamander that is native to Michigan and can be found on wet forest floor.

Several children crossed their arms, signaling they did not want to pet the tiger salamander, while other children said he felt like a fish.

Gandy asked the group what animal they thought would be next. As several children shouted out, “snake,” Gandy pulled out a bag.

Inside the bag was a milk snake, which is a constrictor and native to Michigan. It wrapped around her hand as it got used to its surroundings.

“Farmers used to find them on their farms,” Gandy said. “They’d think they were going after the milk. They were really going after other things like mice.”

The snake Gandy held was hit by a car, found on the side of the road and brought to the nature center.

Gandy instructed everyone petting the milk snake to only pet down his body and avoid touching his head or face.

“This one actually got lose from his cage, and we found him at the front desk, just hanging out.” Gandy said. “We didn’t even realize he was missing.”

Lastly, Gandy introduced the mammal of the group, a tiny mouse with white and orange fur.

“She is a little mouse,” Gandy said.  She is curious, and I have to make sure I have a good grip on her.”

At the end of the event, Gandy lined up the four animals in their storage units and continued to answer questions from the group.

The event kicked off a new partnership between the library and the Dowagiac Conservation Club in an effort to introduce more children to conservation ideas.