The Stone County Historical Society will host herbalist and long-time Ozark educator Tina Marie Wilcox as the featured speaker for its June program on Sunday, June 14, at the Edwin Luther Auditorium, 206 School Avenue in Mountain View. Wilcox, retired Head Gardener and Herbalist Emerita at the Ozark Folk Center State Park, began her career at the park in 1984 and retired at the close of 2025 after more than four decades of service.Widely respected for her extensive knowledge of herbs, horticulture, and Ozark traditions, Wilcox has become one of the region’s most recognized voices in herbal education and preservation. Originally from New Orleans, Wilcox first visited Newton County during the 1970s while pursuing her dream of living off the land. She worked in her father’s hardware store, where she learned practical skills such as tool sharpening and saw maintenance. After purchasing land in Searcy County, she planned to use those skills to support herself in the Ozarks. However, fate led her in another direction when she answered an advertisement in the spring of 1984 that began her long and celebrated career at the Folk Center. Wilcox is a member of the Herb Society of America and received the prestigious 2017 Nancy Putnam Howard Award for Excellence in Horticulture. Her professional affiliations also include the Arkansas Native Plant Society, Arkansas Master Naturalists, United Plant Savers, and the American Botanical Council. She currently serves on the boards of both the International Herb Association and the Herb Society of America’s Ozark Unit. In 2007, Wilcox coauthored the book The Creative Herbal Home with Susan Belsinger.She has also written hundreds of articles for publications including The Herb Companion, Herbs for Health, Grit, and the International Herb Association’s Herb of the Year publication. In addition to her gardening and writing accomplishments, Wilcox also shared her musical talents as part of the group "The Herbin' League,” along-side Marion Spear and Susan Ketchum. The trio regularly performed at Folk Center music shows, herb dinners, and special events throughout Arkansas. During her years at the Folk Center, Wilcox also trained in living history interpretation through a program funded by The Committee of One Hundred. From that training emerged her beloved character, “The Wider Wilcox,” inspired by the traditional granny women of the Ozark hills who relied on herbal remedies and folk wisdom to care for their families and communities. The public is invited to attend the presentation celebrating Ozark heritage, herbal traditions,and one of the region’s most accomplished cultural educators