Bears

"Doc" Bayne spent decades as a Palisades Parks guide and interpreter and came to know and love the features of the landscape, especially the remnants of long-ago settlements and industries. He studied the history of colonial times and knew that somewhere in the Sterling Forest of Orange County was the forge that made links for The Great Chain – a massive obstruction that General George Washington ordered to be cast and stretched across the river to stop British warships from sailing upriver, devastating our local communities and separating the colonial opposition forces.

Bayne, well-known as a local historian, has acquired a vast knowledge of forest and animals through his role as Environmental Educator at Sterling Forest State Park. He has planned and conducted hikes and activities for Sterling Forest, as well as lectured on many aspects of the environment, such as the animals and plants of the eastern forest.

He has also conducted eco explorer classes for children and worked with schools from the tri-state area and home schooled groups, as well as the Boys Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H Clubs, John Hopkins University, New York University, and the American Museum of Natural History.

Bayne’s work includes research on animals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and insects, as well as assisting Ithaca College with their bird research program.