Scope of the Privacy Policy

Our privacy policy tells you what information we collect when you visit our web site, how we use, share and protect it, what choices you have about how the information is used, and how you can access and update that information. If you do not agree to this privacy policy, please do not use this web site. This privacy policy applies to personally identifiable information collected on the web site where this privacy policy is posted.

For purposes of this privacy policy, "personally identifiable information" means information that identifies a particular individual, such as name, postal address, email address, and phone number. When other information, such as email newsletter choices or magazine or product purchases, is directly associated with personally identifiable information, this other information also becomes personally identifiable information.

Information Collection

Personally Identifiable Information We Collect

There are many features on this web site for which no registration is required. However, if you are interested in obtaining information or in participating in certain activities on this web site, you may need to provide us with information about yourself. This information will not be sold or shared with any other organizations. Wherever possible, we will make transparent which information fields are visible to the site administrators versus all site visitors. We will also provide information about how to opt-out of communications you no longer wish to receive, such as e-list messages.

Other Information Collected Through Technology

In addition to information you choose to provide to us, we also collect non-personally identifiable information through technology to make our site more interesting and useful to you. For instance, when you come to our site, we collect your Internet Protocol ("IP") address. An IP address is often associated with the portal through which you enter the Internet, like your ISP (Internet service provider). Standing alone, your IP address is not personally identifiable. At times, we also use IP addresses to collect information regarding the frequency with which our visitors visit various parts of our sites.

Our web site also uses cookies. Cookies are small text files that are stored on a user's computer and allow web sites to remember information about users. We use cookies for a variety of purposes in order to enhance the quality of our web site. We use transient (also called "session ID") cookies to provide continuity from page to page. A session ID cookie expires when you close your browser. We also use persistent cookies. Persistent cookies allow our online store and other parts of our web site to recognize your browser when you return after your first visit to that part of our web site. Cookies allow us to personalize your return visits to our site and to save you time during certain activities, such as filling out form fields. You can choose to remove persistent cookies through your browser options. However, if you do so, your ability to use some areas of our site will be limited.

Finally, our web site uses a variety of technical methods for tracking purposes, including clear gifs (also known as web beacons). Clear gifs are small pieces of data that are embedded in images on the pages of web sites. We use these technical methods to tell us what parts of our web site you have visited or to measure the effectiveness of any searches you may do on our site. These technical methods may involve the transmission of information directly to us or to a service provider authorized by us to collect information on our behalf. The information from use of these technical methods may be combined with information that is personally identifiable so that we can make our web site, and any communications from us you have agreed to receive, more relevant to you.

Links to Other Sites

We may provide links on our web site to other sites we think you will enjoy. These sites operate independently of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and have established their own privacy and security policies. We encourage you to be aware when you leave our site and to read these policies at any site you visit.

Personally Identifiable Information Contained in User Content

Some sections of our web site may allow users to post or transmit messages, comments, screen names, computer files and other materials. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology does not monitor such transmissions, and therefore cannot be responsible for any personally identifiable information or other information that may be contained in such transmissions.

Authorship and Copyright

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has provided draft curriculum materials for use by undergraduate faculty on this website. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0919686. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. We require user registration in order to download files, so that we can provide the granting agency with information about the general types of schools and courses that have adopted these materials, and so that we can communicate with our registered users to obtain valuable feedback and suggestions for future improvement. The authors of the activities are listed, and copyright for the ideas described in the activities remains with them. For information about citing or reproducing these resources, please contact us.

Changes in this Policy

We may amend this privacy policy at any time. If we make any material changes in the way we collect, use, and/or share your personally identifiable information, we will notify you by sending you an email at the last email address that you provided us and/or by prominently posting notice of the changes on the web sites covered by this privacy policy. In any event, changes to this privacy policy may affect our use of personally identifiable information that you provided us prior to our notification to you of the changes.

Contact Us

If you have questions or wish to send us comments about this privacy policy, please contact us.