Program hopes to educate community more about mental and environmental health

April 25-- Apr. 25--After three years, the group Healing with Nature continues to raise awareness about mental health by bringing the community together.

The group will host multiple events Thursday and Friday to celebrate community and educate people on the importance of mental health and how to help others in the community that may suffer from a mental illness.

"We started this to get people to cross boundaries in the community," said an organizer Ron McCollum.

McCollum and other volunteers work to make this event different each year and bring in an outside speaker that somehow connects to the local community. In years past, they have brought a global adventurer in and incorporated the Adventure House. This year, Chip Thomas will be in town to talk about community health as a whole, but also medical and environmental health.

"We decided on him because of his intersection in life," McCollum said.

Thomas, a North Carolina native, is a photographer, public artist, activist and physician who has been working between Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon in the Navajo nation since 1987. He coordinates the Painted Desert Project, a community building effort, which manifests as a constellation of murals across western Navajo Nation painted by artists from around the world.

His own public artwork consists of enlarged black-and-white photographs pasted on structures along the roadside on the Navajo Nation.

The local event coincides with the week of Earth Day.

"We do it during the Earth Day period to bring the environmental component, as well," McCollum said.

McCollum believes the connection between nature and health is very important. By bringing in Thomas with his unique community experience in the desert and his medical background, McCollum is hopeful for interesting discussions over the next two days.

Thomas will present two free public events during his visit to Cleveland County.

The documentary "Africatrek" will be screened from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Newgrass Brewing, at 213 Lafayette St., Shelby. A group discussion will follow the screening. He will also speak during a community potluck at Graham Elementary School, 1100 Blanton St., Shelby, from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday.

Joyce Orlando can be reached at 704-669-3341 or find her on Twitter @Star_J_Orlando.

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