Privacy Policy

This is the official privacy policy ("Privacy Policy") of the California Academy of Sciences ("Academy" or "we", "us" or "our") and describes how we handle Personal Information (as defined below) you provide to us or that we collect from you through the use of our Website which is located at (www.calacademy.org) and any replacement, substitute or backup websites and web pages that are associated with our website, including the Academy Store.

Personal Information

When we use the term "Personal Information" in this Privacy Policy, we mean information such as your first/middle initial or name, last name, e-mail address, street address, mailing address if different, town or city, state, zip code, telephone number, date of birth, credit card information, and any other information that would allow someone to identify you or contact you. Personal Information also includes information collected and maintained through the use of our Website about your personal preferences, survey responses and your relationship with us (for example, if you are a subscriber to Academy eNews). While the Academy may use the Personal Information that you provide in order to send you Academy eNews, provide you with information regarding the Academy or to administer and maintain our Website and, if applicable, your subscription to Academy eNews, the Academy does not share, sell, rent or lease any Personal Information that you provide with any unaffiliated third parties. The term "unaffiliated third parties" or "third parties" does not include any subsidiaries or affiliates of the Academy. You may subscribe or unsubscribe to Academy eNews at any time by following the eNews instructions.

We are committed to protecting the Personal Information you share with us through use of our Website and we maintains reasonable physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to protect your Personal Information. While no data transmission over the Internet is completely secure, we have used and will continue to use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure the protection of your Personal Information. If, for any reason, you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please do not use or attempt to take advantage of any of the information, services, features or functions of the Website that might require you to provide your Personal Information (e.g., subscribing to Academy eNews).

Children

We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from children or knowingly allow children to purchase goods or memberships through our website. Visitors 12 years of age and younger must obtain an adult's permission before submitting any personal information to this or any other website. In the event that we learn that we have received any personal information from a visitor 12 years of age or younger, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe that we might have information from or about a child 12 years of age or younger, please contact us at www.webservices@calacademy.org.

Cookies are small, removable data files that are stored on your computer's hard drive by your Web browser. When you visit our site, we may send one or more cookies to uniquely identify your browser, which allows us to enhance and personalize your online experience on the Website. Cookies, by themselves, do not provide us with any personally-identifying information. Most Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can change the preferences of your browser so that it does not accept them.

Memberships and Academy eNews Newsletter

You can browse our Website without being required to divulge any Personal Information to us. Although we collect and maintain aggregate information about usage and visitors browsing our Website, no Personal Information is collected as part of this process. We only collect Personal Information about you when you purchase an Academy membership or make a donation to the Academy online, This information includes your name, billing and shipping addresses, telephone number, e-mail address and credit card information. Your credit card information will be used only as needed to process your transaction.

We also collect Personal information when you subscribe to receive our Academy eNews newsletter and provide us with your email address, your name and other Personal Information - which means you are consenting to receive each issue of our Academy eNews and any related emails. You may unsubscribe to Academy eNews at any time by following the instructions provided with the link contained in each Academy eNews or e-mail message we send you or by visiting our Website at www.calacademy.org/enews/subscribe.html and submitting your registered email address in the space provided under the "Unsubscribe" heading.

If you are a Subscriber, you must give us current, complete and accurate information and keep the information you provide to us up to date. We cannot and shall not be responsible for any problems or liability that may arise if you do not give us current, accurate, truthful or complete information or you fail to update the information you give us.

Use and Disclosure of Personal Information

We will only make your Personal Information available to non-affiliated third parties in the following circumstances:

If we are compelled to do so by a governmental agency, court or other entity (e.g., to respond to subpoenas, court orders or legal process);

If we believe your actions violate a law, regulation, this Privacy Policy or any applicable Website terms of use, or if you threaten the rights, property or safety of us, our Website, any other users or third party;

If, in our sole discretion, we believe disclosure is necessary to investigate or resolve possible problems or inquiries, to protect our assets, to defend our interests or comply with our legal and regulatory obligations; or

If there is a bankruptcy, merger, acquisition, transfer of control, joint venture or other business combination involving the Academy.

Use of Outside Vendors

We may from time to time retain qualified third-party vendors to help us manage the Website and allow us to better serve Academy visitors. These may include third-party vendors we engage to analyze the information we collect on the Academy Website, for marketing or similar purposes. We require all vendors to maintain the security of all information to which they are provided access, and restricts the vendors from using the information in any way not authorized by the Academy.

We may contract with third parties who use Cookies to collect information for us. These parties are required to maintain the confidentiality of all such information. You may opt out of this use of your information by changing the preferences of your Web browser so that it does not accept Cookies. We may also contract with third-party companies to provide services to us, including credit card processing, data management, and other services. We restrict these vendors from using any information to which they have access in any way not expressly authorized by the Academy.

Links and Third Parties

The Website may provide links to resources we believe may be useful. These links will lead you to websites operated by third parties that operate under different privacy policies. We encourage you to review those privacy policies, as the Academy Privacy Policy does not apply to such sites, and we have no control over information you may submit to those third parties or how they may use the information you provide to them. We may use third parties, such as ad server companies, to present advertisements you may see on our Website, which may also include advertisements placed by third parties. These third parties may employ cookie and web bug technologies to measure advertising effectiveness. We have no control over such third parties use of technologies or their policies and practices concerning their collection and use of your information. Our Privacy Policy does not cover information collected by third parties, nor how they may use such information.

How We Protect Your Information

To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy and ensure the correct usage of information, we use commercially reasonable efforts to monitor and adjust our physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the Personal Information we collect online. We limit access to the Website by our own employees to individuals who are authorized for the proper handling of such information and any employee found violating our standards of security and confidentiality is subject to our disciplinary processes. We request our service providers to follow the same policy. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that data transmitted over the Internet will always be secure. As a result, although we strive to protect your Personal Information, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit or we may learn as a result of your use of our Website and you do so at your own risk.

Your California Privacy Rights

Residents of the State of California, under the California Civil Code, have the right to request from companies conducting business in California, a list of all third parties to which the company has disclosed Personal Information during the preceding year for direct marketing purposes. Except with respect to the limited exceptions described above, we do not share your Personal Information with any third parties for direct marketing purposes.

If you are a California resident and request information about how to exercise your third party disclosure choices, you must send a request to the following address with a preference on how our response to your request should be sent (email or postal mail). Send an email to the Privacy Administrator at privacy@calacademy.org or contact us via postal mail at:

California Academy of Sciences - Privacy Administrator
55 Music Concourse Dr.
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, CA 94118
Attn: Your California Privacy Rights

All requests sent via postal mail must be labeled "Your California Privacy Rights" on the envelope or post card and clearly stated on the actual request. For all requests, please include your name, street address, city, state, and zip code. (Your street address is optional if you wish to receive a response to your request via email. Please include your zip code for our own recordkeeping.) We will not accept requests via the telephone or by facsimile. We are not responsible for notices that are not labeled or sent properly, notices that are illegible or do not have complete information.

Revisions

We may revise this Privacy Policy at any time and from time to time without advance notice, by posting an updated and revised version of this Privacy Policy on the Academy Website. The revisions are effective immediately upon posting and we encourage you to check this Privacy Policy often so you are aware of the most current terms and conditions that apply to you.