Polar Bear Empathy Days!

The two women wore down vests to mimic how the bears must feel as temperatures rise.

“We’re wearing vests on this hot day to pretend we’re polar bears,” Ms. Bebon told the campers in the 84-degree weather. “I’m hot, by the way, I’m really hot.”

Ms. Bebon said that since “the Earth is getting a lot warmer,” polar bears are put in more danger as they have to swim a lot farther to find ice to rest on. She said scientists think the Arctic will be ice-free by 2040.

“The polar bears’ habitat is melting at an alarming rate. This year, the polar bear was put on the endangered species list,” Ms. Bebon said. “Scientists estimated there are only 20 to 25,000 polar bears throughout the Arctic. Scientists estimate we’ll lose two-thirds of polar bears by 2050.”

But all hope was not yet lost, Ms. Bebon said.

“You all can help us make a difference,” she said. “We’re here to inspire you, inform you and empower you.”

Ms. Baumann said that while it is uncertain whether global warming is a natural phenomenon or a trend caused by humans, “there are certainly things we can do to try and reduce the trends.”