The Big Bee Litter Critter Opens in Riverhead 

A four-foot by seven-foot wire sculpture of a bee, known as a litter critter, was unveiled on the intersection of Main Street and Griffing Avenue in Riverhead to inspire locals to recycle their trash.

The Big Bee, which is funded by the North Fork Environmental Council (NFEC), sits near the River and Roots Community Garden. The purpose of the bee is to collect cans and bottles, preventing them from appearing in waterways, the landfill, or the streets. Lisa Gavales, board member of the North Fork Environmental Council, also hopes the bee will help children and adults alike remember the importance of recycling.

“I’m hoping that people… recognize the need to recycle,” Gavales said. “There are times where you are out on the street and you have a water bottle and the only thing available to you is a trash can. That isn’t a great solution for a plastic bottle.”

Gavales came up with the idea of bringing a litter critter to Riverhead after seeing one at Iron Pier Beach during a cleanup with NFEC. The beach’s cleanliness surprised Gavales since other beaches in the area she had cleaned were not of the same quality. When leaving, she saw a litter critter, which had around 200-300 plastic bottles in it. She then realized these critters truly work and can have an impact.

“I was excited about the idea of having more critters, because I believe that they not only work, but because they’re sort of beautiful and fun,” Gavales said. “They also encourage children at a young age to be engaged in recycling.”

Gavales worked with a coalition of people, like town board member Joann Watski, Clayton Orehek, The Big Bee Creator, and Ashley Schandel, Riverhead Parks and Recreation Assistant Superintendent, to turn this project into a reality. They discussed where the bee should be and its design, making it recyclable.

“The end of the antennas are reused, crystal door knobs, the heads and the wings are filled with crushed water bottles,” Gavales said. “Much of the body of the bee, which is metal and metal mesh, is recycled.”

The Big Bee, while only having been unveiled for a week, has been making progress in terms of collecting items, according to Gavales. The NFEC is working to add more litter critters to the North Fork in the near future and are in discussion with Southold and Greenport to potentially bring them to those towns.