The Washington Chapter of The Wildlife Society (“WATWS” “we” “us” or “our”) is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.  The policies below are applicable to our website, watws.org (including any versions optimized for viewing on a mobile or tablet device); all email newsletters published or distributed by WATWS; all apps published by WATWS; and all other interactive features, services and communications provided by WATWS (“Sites”), however accessed and/or used that are operated by us, made available by us, or produced and maintained by WATWS.

We have established this Privacy Policy to let you know when and why we collect personal information, how we use it, the conditions under which we may disclose it to others, and the reasonable steps we take to keep it secure. This policy also describes the choices available to you regarding our use of your personal information and how you can access and update this information.

If you do not agree with the terms of our Privacy Policy, please do not use our Sites.

WATWS reserves the right to modify its Privacy Policy at any time without notice. Any changes to the Privacy Policy will be posted on this page and will become effective on the date of posting. We encourage you to periodically review this page for the latest information on our privacy practices. If you continue to use our Sites after we post changes to this Privacy Policy, it will mean you accept these changes. If we intend to apply the modifications or amendments to this Privacy Policy retroactively or to personal information already in our possession, we will provide you with notice of the modifications or amendments.

Data Protection Questions

Should you have any comments, complaints or questions concerning this policy or our use of your personal information please contact WATWS’s Secretary (secretary@watws.org).

Collection of Information

WATWS has a firm commitment to internet privacy. You can visit most portions of our Sites without telling us who you are and without revealing any personal information to us. Specific pages may request personal information that you can voluntary provide if you interested in using them.

WATWS may collect personal and non-personal information from you.

WATWS may collect and store in our database personally identifiable information that you may voluntarily provide to complete transactions you request, deliver benefits and services, provide WATWS communications and customer service to you, and to facilitate your receipt of the benefits of memberships in our Chapter.

Personal information is information you may voluntarily supply to us that can individually identify you. This may include:

§  Contact details, such as your name, email address, postal address, and telephone number;

§  Diversity details, such as your ethnicity, gender, and birth year.

§  Employment details, such as your employer, position, and professional status;

§  Educational, personal and professional interests;

§  Usernames and passwords to access our Sites;

§  Payment and billing information, such as a credit or debit card number;

§  Comments, feedback, posts and other content you provide to WATWS (through our Sites, email, or written communication);

§  Communication preferences;

§  Purchase history

Similar to other websites you visit, WATWS Sites automatically collect non-personal information that can not personally identify you but may include automated tracking and usage information that we use to better understand the content interests and demographics/geolocation of the visitors to our Sites in an effort to optimize and improve the value of their experiences and increase their engagement with WATWS and its Sites. WATWS’ website technologies include the use of cookies, which are small text files created by websites that are stored on your computer, Google Analytics, and MailChimp Enewsletter and email services.

Non-personal information we automatically collect includes:

§  Location-aware services, the physical location of your device in order to provide you with more relevant content for your location;

§  Communications with other users of WATWS’s services, including the WATWS Online Member Directory to ensure that users are not using such services to “spam” other members with unwanted communications

§  Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses used to connect your computer to the Internet

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics which uses cookies and other similar technologies to anonymously collect and report information about our Sites’ use and website trends without identifying individual visitors. You can learn about Google’s practices by going to www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/, and opt out of them by downloading the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on, available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

WildApricot Services

We also use WildApricot services which requires sharing email address information you voluntarily provide so that we can deliver WATWS emails and newsletter campaigns. Through WildApricot we can track email delivery rates. We also use WildApricot tracking codes or Google Analytics to review click through data that helps us determine which content and advertising is most valuable to our users. This information may be aggregated and/or associated with your other personal information. You can learn about WildApricot practices by going to https://www.wildapricot.com/privacypolicy .

Collection of Personal Information From or Through Social Media Sites

When you interact with any WATWS property page or account on a social media platform, such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, we may collect the personal information that you make available to us on that page or account including your account ID or “handle.” However, we will comply with the privacy policies of the corresponding social media platform and we will only collect and store such personal information that we are permitted to collect by these social media platforms.

Personal Information Collected from Children

WATWS does not knowingly attempt to solicit or receive information from children. If you are age 16 or under, then you must first seek the consent of your parent or guardian prior to submitting any personal information to WATWS. If you are age 13 or under, you may not submit personal information to us. If WATWS learns we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child age 16 or under without parental consent—or any child age 13 or under regardless of consent—we will delete that information promptly.

Information We Receive from Other Sources

TWS may receive information about you if you use any of the websites we operate or the other services we provide. We also work closely with third parties (including, for example, business partners and sub-contractors in technical, payment and delivery services, advertising networks, analytics providers, and search information providers) from whom TWS may receive information about you in support of completing transactions you initiated through interaction with our Sites, verbal, or written interaction.

Use of Your Information

WATWS uses your personal information in the performance of any contract we enter into with you, to comply with legal obligations, or where WATWS has a legitimate business interest in using your information to enhance the services and products we provide. Legitimate business purposes include but are not limited to one or all of the following:

§  Processing financial transactions related to WATWS membership, WATWS Annual Meeting registration, workshop fees, and the purchase of other products and services;

§  Providing direct marketing and assessing the effectiveness of promotions and advertising; modifying, improving or personalizing our services, products and communications; detecting fraud; investigating suspicious activity and otherwise keeping our site safe and secure; and conducting data analytics.

In addition, we may use your information in the following ways (after obtaining your consent, if required):

§  To provide you with information about products and services that you request from us;

§  To send you periodic mailings from WATWS;

§  To maintain and verify your membership status;

§  To provide you with information about other products, events and services we offer that are either (i) similar to those you have already purchased or inquired about, or (ii) entirely new products, events and services;

§  For internal business and research purposes to help enhance, evaluate, develop, and create WATWS Sites (including usage statistics, such as “page views” on WATWS’s websites and the products therein), products, and services;

§  To notify you about changes or updates to our websites, products, or services;

§  To administer our services and for internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, statistical, and survey purposes;

§  To allow you to participate in interactive features of our service; and

§  For any other purpose that we may notify you of from time to time.

Personal information will not be kept longer than is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. This means that, unless information must be retained for legal or archival purposes, personal information will be securely destroyed, put beyond use or erased from WATWS’s systems when it is no longer required or, where applicable, following a request from you to destroy or erase your personal information.

Disclosure and Sharing of Your Information

WATWS will not disclose to or share your personal information with any unaffiliated third party except as follows:

§  Where necessary in connection with services provided by third parties (i) who provide us with a wide range of office, administrative, information technology, production, payment, or business management services, and (ii) who are required to comply with this policy;

§  Where you voluntarily provide information in response to an advertisement from a third party;

§  Where WATWS is required to disclose personal information in response to lawful requests by public authorities and government agencies, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements; to comply with a subpoena or other legal process; when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, or to protect the rights, property or safety of our services, users or others; and to investigate fraud; and

§  Where all or substantially all of the business or assets of WATWS relating to our services are sold, assigned, or transferred to another entity.

WATWS may disclose navigational, transactional, and demographic information in the form of anonymous, aggregate usage statistics and demographics information that does not reveal your identity or personal information to third parties for purposes such as attracting new business relationships such as advertisers, sponsors and exhibitors that provide financial support that helps fund WATWS members’ programs and services. This information may also be shared with WATWS’ Executive Board and others as helpful to develop strategies that increase WATWS membership growth, engagement, and/or satisfaction.

Third-Parties

WATWS’ Sites or services may include links to third-party websites. In using such links, please be aware that each third-party website is subject to its own privacy and data protection policies and is not covered by our Privacy Policy. In addition, we allow third-party companies to serve ads and/or collect certain anonymous information when you visit our websites. These companies may be placing and reading cookies in the cookie file of the browser on your computer’s hard disk or using web beacons or other technologies to collect information in the course of ads being served on this website. These companies may use information other than personal information (e.g., click stream information, browser type, time and date, subject of advertisements clicked or scrolled over) during your visits to these and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services likely to be of greater interest to you.

Cross Border Transfers

WATWS may transfer your personal information outside of your country of residence for the following reasons:

§  In order to process your transactions, we may store your personal information on our servers and those servers may reside outside the country where you live. WATWS servers and officers are located in the United States. However, some of our third-party vendors who are engaged contractually to process your transactions may have servers located in other countries. Such processing may include, among other things, the fulfillment of your order, the processing of your payment details and the provision of support services.

§  In order to satisfy global reporting requirements, WATWS may be required to provide your personal information to WATWS affiliates in other countries. For example, if you are WATWS member residing in Canada, we would share any information required by the Canadian government as requested.

By submitting your personal information, you agree to this transfer, storing or processing of your information. We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your personal information is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and all applicable data protection laws.

Security

We will use appropriate physical, technical and administrative safeguards to protect your data.  Access to your personal data will be restricted to only those who need to know that information and required to perform their job function.  In addition, we train our officers about the importance of maintaining the confidentiality and security of your information.

Disclosure in Chat Rooms or Forums

You should be aware that identifiable personal information, such as your name or e-mail address, that you voluntarily disclose and that is accessible to other users (e.g. on social media, forums, bulletin boards or in chat areas) could be collected and disclosed by others. WATWS cannot take any responsibility for such collection and disclosure.

Your Rights

WATWS follows the standards outlined in the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.

You have the right to make a written request to be informed whether or not we hold or process any of your personal information (by emailing secretary@watws.org). In your written request, you may:

§  Request that we provide you with details of your personal information that we process, the purpose for which it is processed, the recipients of such information, the existence of any automated decision making involving your personal information, and what transfer safeguards we have in place;

§  Request that we rectify any errors in your personal information;

§  Request that we delete your personal information if our continued processing of such information is not justified;

§  Request that we transfer your personal information to a third party;

§  Object to automated decision-making and profiling based on legitimate interests or the performance of a task in the public interest (in which event the processing will cease except where there are compelling legitimate grounds, such as when the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract between us);

§  Object to direct marketing from us and to unsubscribe by using the links provided in those communication; and

§  Object to processing for purposes of scientific, historical research and statistics.

Where applicable under your local laws, we will not use your personal information for marketing purposes, nor disclose your information to any third parties, unless we have your prior consent, which we will seek before collecting your personal information. You can exercise your right to prevent such processing by checking certain boxes on the consent forms we use when collecting your personal information. If at any point you wish to review or change your preferences you can use the “opt-out” or unsubscribe mechanism or other means provided within the communications that you receive from us or by sending an email to secretary@watws.org. Note that you may still receive transactional communications from WATWS.