Residences at Vantage Point Arts & Culture Collective presents naturalist Ned Tillman reading from his young adult novel, “The Big Melt,” on Tuesday, June 18, from 7-8 p.m., in the auditorium of the retirement community in Downtown Columbia. The public is invited to attend.

“The Big Melt” is a work of contemporary fantasy fiction featuring a series of climate catastrophes that challenge people living in Sleepy Valley to save their town. Tillman will read from his work and discuss the power of literature and intergenerational collaboration to address climate change.

Tillman is the the author of “The Chesapeake Watershed: A Sense of Place and a Call to Action” and “Saving the Places We Love.” He is Principal of Sustainable Growth, LLC, and was formerly President of an environmental assessments firm, Columbia Technologies. He has an MS in Science and Engineering from Syracuse University and a BA in Earth and Environmental Science from Franklin and Marshall College. He lives in Howard County.

There is no admission fee for the reading, but reservations are required at [email protected].

The Arts & Culture Collective is presenting a series of programs at the Residences at Vantage Point, as well as excursions to arts and cultural events taking place elsewhere in the community, to highlight Columbia as the “campus” for residents of the retirement community. Partnerships with local institutions have made the series possible.

Residences at Vantage Point, formerly known as Vantage House, was founded in 1990 and is a nonprofit serving people age 60 and above. Managed by Life Care Services, the community includes a variety of residential living arrangements from studio to two-bedroom/den apartments. It provides long-term health services available exclusively for residents should they need them.

Residences at Vantage Point is located at 5400 Vantage Point Road. Call 410-992-1241 or visit www.VantagePointResidences.org for more information.