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Privacy Policy
Tropical Forest Group ("we" or "us")
respects your privacy and has adopted policies and procedures for
ensuring that personal information about visitors ("you")
is handled responsibly. This statement describes the privacy practices
of the Tropical Forest Group website (on the Internet at www.tropicalforestgroup.org).
This statement outlines:
- What
personally identifiable information TFG collects through
the TFG website.
- What personally
identifiable information third parties collect.
- How TFG uses
visitor information.
- With
whom TFG may share visitor information.
- What
choices are available to visitors regarding collection, use,
and distribution of their information.
- What
types of security procedures are in place to protect against
the loss, misuse, or alteration of visitor information under TFG control.
- How
visitors can correct any inaccuracies in their information.
This statement does not cover information about you that may be
collected through software downloaded from the website.
Information Collection
TFG collects information from our visitors at several
different points on our website.
Browsing
Visitors may browse our website, subject to our website Terms
of Service, without providing any individually identifiable information.
Registration
Visitors must register in order to use certain features of our website,
such as our chat rooms, online discussion forums, and bulletin boards.
During registration, a visitor is required to provide contact information
such as name, email address, and mailing address. We use this information
to contact visitors about features and services that we believe may
be of interest. Registration data may also include demographic information
(such as gender or age) and subject matter preferences so that we
can effectively tailor editorial content according to interest.
Requests and Orders
When a visitor asks us to provide information or a service, we request
information to enable us to respond to the visitor. This information
could include contact information (such as name, email address, and
mailing address) and, if applicable, financial, payment, or billing
information.
Information Use
Profile
Each time you visit our website, our web server receives some
basic technical information from your computer, including your
Internet protocol (IP) address, domain name, referral data
(e.g., the address of the website you visited before clicking
through to our website), and browser and platform type. We
store this technical information using cookies, log files,
clear gifs, and/or third parties to create a profile of our
visitors. A profile consists of stored technical information
that we keep on individual visitors which details their viewing
preferences. These profiles do not contain information that
identifies any visitor as an individual person. This information
is used to provide offers and improve the content of the site
for a visitor, and may be used to customize portions of our
website for a visitor or direct certain types of information
to a visitor. We may share profile information (without individually
identifying information) with third parties.
Cookies
A cookie is a small data file stored on a visitor's computer
that contains information about the visitor. We use both session
ID cookies and persistent cookies. For the session ID cookie,
once visitors close the browser, the cookie simply terminates
and is not retained. A persistent cookie is a small text file
stored on the visitor's hard drive for an extended period of
time. Persistent cookies can be removed by following Internet
browser help file directions.
We use cookies to count the number of visitors to our website;
the cookie enables us to distinguish repeat visitors from new
visitors. If visitors decline to accept cookies, they may still
use our site, but some portions of our site may be inaccessible
or slower to access. Persistent cookies enable us to track
and target the interests of our visitors so we can enhance
the visitor experience on our site.
Log Files
Like most standard website servers, we use log files to track
visitors' access to our website. This includes IP addresses,
browser type, Internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit
pages, platform type, date/time stamp, and number of clicks
to analyze trends, administer the site, track visitor movement
in the aggregate, and gather broad demographic information
for aggregate use. IP addresses, etc., are not linked to personally
identifiable information.
Clear Gifs (Web Beacons/Web Bugs)
We employ software technology called "clear gifs" (also
known as "web beacons" or "web bugs")
that help us better manage content on our site by informing
us what content is most popular and most effective. Clear gifs
are tiny graphics with a unique identifier, similar in function
to cookies, and are used to track the online movements of website
visitors. Clear gifs are invisible on the page and are about
the size of the period at the end of this sentence. Clear gifs
are not tied to visitors' personally identifiable information.
Communications
from TFG
TFG by Email
If a visitor wishes to subscribe to our TFG newsletter, we must collect
registration information including the visitor's name and email address.
Subscribers may unsubscribe to stop receiving these email communications.
Please see the "Choice" and "Opt-Out" sections
of this policy below.
Announcements
We occasionally send registered visitors email messages about features
on our website, promotions, events, or other information that may
be of interest to them.
Customer Service
If we need to communicate with a registered visitor, we generally
use email, but may use other methods of communication as appropriate,
if the visitor supplies such information to us.
Sharing of Information
Legal Requirements
Though we make every effort to preserve visitor privacy, we may need
to disclose personal information as required by law or if we have
a good-faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with
a current judicial proceeding or a court order or legal process served
on us, or to assert or defend our legal rights, or to protect us
or others from harm to persons or property.
Non-Personally Identifiable Aggregate Information
We may share aggregated demographic information with other entities
such as our funding providers, Do-Good partners, or third parties
with whom we have marketing alliances.
Public Postings
Our website provides numerous opportunities for visitors to express
their opinions and views, in accordance with the standards of conduct
in our Terms of Service .
Visitors submit information to these forums with the understanding
that the information will be made publicly available. For example,
letters to the editor, bulletin board postings, chat room postings,
and statements made in an online discussion forum may be posted as
we determine to be appropriate, and this content may be attributed
to you. TFG exercises its discretion in determining what
to post and what to remove. In most cases, TFG does not
actively monitor visitor-submitted content, so visitors should be
careful not to post anything that they do not wish to be publicly
available. Once information is made publicly available on our website
(no matter how long it may remain available), it may be copied or
downloaded by other persons, and TFG has no control over
who may obtain the information or what they may do with it.
Service Providers
We share personally identifiable information with the companies that
provide services for us or our website. For example, the companies
that operate our website, maintain our computers, and prepare our
mailings need access to information necessary to perform their tasks.
Likewise, the companies that administer features on our website,
or that provide professional or logistics services to us, need access
to information about visitors in order to perform their work for
us.
Business Transitions
Visitor information may be transferred in connection with a business
transition -- for example, if TFG merges with another entity,
is acquired by another entity, or sells a portion of its assets.
Choice/Opt-Out
Our visitors are given the opportunity to "opt out" of
having their information used for purposes not directly related to
our site at the point where we ask for the information. For example,
our order form has an opt-out mechanism so visitors who request something
from us can keep their email address off of our lists for future
mailings.
Visitors who no longer wish to receive information from us may opt
out of receiving communications by sending an email message to tfg@tropicalforestgroup.org with "unsubscribe" in
the subject line. Visitors may also opt out by writing to Webmaster, TFG,
1226 E. Mason St, Santa Barbara CA 93103.
Surveys, Sweepstakes & Contests
We may occasionally conduct surveys, sweepstakes, or contests. Participation
in these is completely voluntary and visitors have a choice of whether
to disclose personally identifiable information in order to take
part. The requested information typically includes contact information
(such as name and mailing address) and demographic information (such
as gender or age). Contact information will be shared with the survey,
sweepstakes, or contest sponsors or used by TFG internally
to notify the winners and award prizes. Non-identifying survey information
will be used for purposes of monitoring or improving the use and
satisfaction of TFG's website. Visitors' personally identifiable
information is not shared with third parties involved in surveys,
sweepstakes, or contests unless we give prior notice. Though we may
use an intermediary to conduct these surveys, sweepstakes, or contests,
these third parties may not use visitors' personally identifiable
information for any other purposes.
Other Information
Security
We take precautions to protect our visitors' information, including
physical, technical, and administrative measures intended to prevent
unauthorized access to or use of personally identifiable visitor
information.
Links
This website contains links to other sites that offer their own products,
services, and features that may be of interest to TFG visitors.
However, TFG is not responsible for the privacy practices
of such other sites. We encourage our visitors to be aware when they
leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every
website that collects personally identifiable information.
Correcting and
Updating Personal Information
If a visitor's personally identifiable information changes (such
as email address, mailing address, or phone number), or if a visitor
wishes to remove their information from our systems, we provide a
way to correct, update, or delete/deactivate visitors' personally
identifiable information. This can be done by making a written or
email request to TFG using one of the methods of contact
described below under "Contact Information."
Notification of Changes
If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes
to this privacy statement, and to other places we deem appropriate
so our visitors are always aware of what information we collect,
how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose
it. We will use information in accordance with the privacy policy
under which the information was collected.
In some cases when we post a notice of privacy-policy changes, we
will also email visitors who have opted to receive communications
from us, notifying them of the changes in our privacy practices.
Contact Information
If you have questions or concerns regarding this statement, you may
contact TFG's privacy officer by email at tfg@tropicalforestrgoup.org or
by mail at Webmaster, TFG, 1226 E. Mason St, Santa Barbara,
CA 93103.
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