Summer is in full swing on the Plateau, and so is the Highlands-Cashiers Center for Life Enrichment’s 2026 program series. This month features three engaging programs designed to inspire curiosity, broaden perspectives, and celebrate the joy of lifelong learning.
The CLE hive will be abuzz with excitement on July 9 as Jeremy Zimmerman, backyard beekeeper and president of the Macon County Beekeepers Association, presents “My Bees Are Smarter Than Your 5th Grader.” Did you know that humans have harvested honey for at least 10,000 years, as indicated by Spanish cave paintings, and that Egyptians successfully managed beehives approximately 3,500 years ago? What about the fact that bees maintain a predetermined hive hierarchy, perform age-based roles, communicate through dance, participate in democratic selection, and act altruistically, often dying to defend the hive? Zimmerman will elaborate on all of these amazing facts and more. Participants will explore what it takes to be an apiarist, learn about our food system’s reliance on pollinators, and discover what we can do to support our wee bee friends. CLE would like to thank the Laurel Garden Club for supporting this program through their grant.
Dr. Mimi Zeiman
For those who prefer brews to bees, join CLE at Western Carolina Brew and Wine on July 16 for “From Brewhouse to Bathhouse: Where Beer Becomes Bubbles.” Participants will learn how to recycle spent grains and beer and transform them into beautiful, functional bars of soap. Experience how dried, finely ground grains create a gentle exfoliant, while brewer’s yeast provides soothing moisturization. No soapmaking experience is required, just an open mind and a willingness to experiment!
Summer heat may be upon us, but on July 17 CLE will be transported to the bone-chilling cold of Mount Everest. Dr. Mimi Zeiman, OB/GYN, writer, and speaker, will lead a discussion inspired by her memoir “Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor’s Unlikely Adventure.” Zeiman will recount her decision at age 25 to overcome self-doubt and become the sole medical support – and only woman – on a groundbreaking Everest expedition. She will discuss how her family’s Holocaust history shaped her narrative, themes of risk-taking, the science of authenticity, and how feminism informs her writing and advocacy for women’s health.
For more information on all of CLE’s 2026 programs, times, pricing, registration, and membership, please visit clehighlands.com or call (828) 526-8811.
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