Privacy Policy

Last modified: November 17, 2022

Earth Rangers is the children’s conservation organization, committed to instilling environmental knowledge, positivity, and the confidence to take action in every child in Canada.  Earth Rangers is a registered charity in Canada: 8922 00528 RR0001 (The Earth Rangers Foundation, Eco Héros) and a 501(c)3 in the United States: 87-2797392 (The Earth Rangers USA Foundation).

The Earth Rangers Foundation and The Earth Rangers USA Foundation (“Earth Rangers”, “we”, “us” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of all Earth Rangers’ members, donors and users of our products, programs, podcasts, and other services available online, through our mobile applications (“App”) and websites (“Website”), and in person.

This privacy policy (the “Privacy Policy”) outlines how Earth Rangers collects, uses and discloses your personal information and data gathered about you, in conformance with its applicable privacy law obligations.

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information we collect, use or disclose when you:

• use our App and/or Websites;
• submit personal information to Earth Rangers, including on a voluntary basis;
• apply for a job or to volunteer with us;
• authorize us to obtain personal information from other sources; and
• interact with us in any other way (by telephone, email, and in person).

Accordingly, by visiting our App and/or Website, submitting information or applying for a job you acknowledge that you accept the terms of this Privacy Policy and website Terms of Use.

If you do not agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy or any revised Privacy Policy, please do not use our App and/or Website or provide us with your personal information.

What is personal information?

Personal information is any information, whether factual or subjective, about an identifiable person. This includes information such as your name, address, telephone number, birth date, e-mail address, and financial information.

This privacy policy is not intended to cover information other than personal information, such as business or anonymous information.

How is consent obtained?

Earth Rangers will obtain your consent (through this privacy policy, electronic registration, the donation process or other means) to collect, use and/or disclose personal information except where we are authorized or required by law to do so without consent. Where necessary, we may require a parent’s or guardian’s consent. For instance, for children under the age of 18 who want to register as an Earth Rangers’ Member or an App Member, Earth Rangers requires a parent’s or guardian’s consent.

From time to time, we may wish to use or disclose your personal information for new or additional purposes. We will obtain your consent to use or share your personal information for such new or additional purposes before doing so.

Information we collect about you and how we collect it

Personal Information

Earth Rangers does not collect information indiscriminately and will limit collection of information to that which is reasonable and necessary for the purposes it was collected or as authorized by law.

We will inform you of the purposes for which we collect, use and share personal information before or at the time the information is collected. In addition to the purposes identified below, we may inform you of other purposes from time to time, either in writing or orally.

Often it is optional for you to provide your personal information, but other times some personal information is required to serve you. You may choose not to provide your personal information even in such cases, but that may result in our inability to serve you.

In all cases where you voluntarily provide personal information to us, we undertake to collect, use and/or disclose it in accordance with this privacy policy and applicable laws.

Members

When members decide to join the Earth Rangers’ membership program or register for an Earth Rangers’ Account (an “Account”) through our App or Website we require information from them such as their email address, first name, birth date (for age verification purposes) and, where applicable, parent’s or guardian’s email address. If the member is under the age of 18, we ask for parental or guardian contact information, including a parent’s or guardian’s email address. The member’s parent or legal guardian will then be notified by email and asked to provide their first name, last name, mailing address and phone number.  Parents or guardians must approve and activate the child’s account.

Donors

When making a donation, for example for a symbolic wildlife adoption, donors provide us with the following information: first name, last name, email address, street address, city, province, country, postal code, phone number (optional), name on credit card, credit card type, card number, and expiry date. Only the first and last four (4) digits of the credit card number are stored.

When purchasing a symbolic animal adoption, users will complete the transaction using Shopify’s merchant system.  Please visit https://www.shopify.com/legal/privacy to review their Privacy Policy and https://www.shopify.com/legal/terms for their Terms of Service.

Other Scenarios

We may collect your information when you:

• correspond with us, including via e-mail, conventional post, telephone, in-person or otherwise;
• provide us with feedback;
• enter a competition, challenge, contest, promotion or survey that Earth Rangers may run from time to time on the Website, App, via email through a separate service or any other analogous means;
• report a problem or submit queries, concerns or comments regarding our programs and services as well as content on our Website or App;
• when you attend an Earth Rangers’ event or program;
• when you apply for a position with Earth Rangers, including a volunteer position; and
• engage with us through social media websites or through features such as plug-ins or applications on our Website or App that integrate with social media sites, in order to provide you with a more personalized experience.

Third Parties

We may collect information from third parties to manage risk and to detect, prevent, manage, and investigate or protect against fraud or other unauthorized or illegal activity.

Technical and App Usage Information

Earth Rangers does not collect personal information that can identify you when you use our Website or App. However, as you interact with our Website and App, we may automatically collect technical information about your equipment as well as usage actions/participation, location and patterns. We collect this information by using cookies and other similar tracking technologies. We may also receive technical information about you if you visit other websites employing our cookies.

This information is used to improve the content of our Website and App, to enhance the user experience, and to provide technical support.

Collection Through Cookies

A cookie is a small data file that a website may write to your hard drive when you visit. A cookie file can contain information (such as a user ID) that the website can use to track the pages you have visited and to record your preferences for future visits. 

Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website or app. We use cookies and related technologies to collect information to understand how you use our Website. In addition, we may use third party cookies that track how you use the website and the websites you link to when you leave our website.

You may block cookies by adjusting your internet browser settings, although this may interfere with the functionality of our Website. For more information on blocking cookies or targeted advertising, visit the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada page at http://youradchoices.ca/choices/.

Here is a description of the types of cookies that are used.  Note that cookies are only used on our websites, and not in our mobile apps.

You have the option of disabling all of them except for those that are strictly necessary.

Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.

Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.

Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Collection Through Google Analytics

Earth Rangers also uses Google Analytics, a web analytics tool from Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“Google”). Google Analytics uses information obtained by the cookies to evaluate your use of our website for us, to create reports on website activities and to provide further services related to the website and the internet usage for us. This information may be transmitted to a server in the USA and stored there. Please note that Google Analytics information may be disclosed to marketing agency partners that use the data to optimize marketing campaigns. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. For more information on Google’s privacy policy in general and Google Analytics, please visit their website at www.google.ca/policies/privacy/ and www.google.com/analytics.  You can deactivate the Google Analytics function with a browser add-on, which you can download at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. To do this you must install that browser add-on. This will prevent the analysis information from being sent to Google.

For what purpose do we use the information or data?

We use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any personal information provided by members and donor:

• to communicate with you, including to authenticate your identity and ensure that your information is correct and accurate;
• to facilitate requests they you have made, including for electronic content (including newsletters and alerts);
• to provide contest information and/or notification;
• to solicit and accept donations and contributions to Earth Rangers;
• to address your customer service inquiries and complaints;
• to administer and manage our membership program. For example, to deliver membership cards and/or mission kits;
• to facilitate our online rewards program;
• to operate, maintain, enhance, and provide all of the features of our App;
• to facilitate members’ access to various interactive features found on our App and Website, such as access to contests, symbolic animal adoptions, Missions, Challenges, Trivia, Creative Corner, or participation on the Wild Wire blog;
• to keep you informed about Earth Rangers’ programs, services, opportunities to volunteer, events, funding needs and membership benefits;
• to understand and analyze the usage trends, behaviors, and preferences of our users, to improve the way the App and Website works and looks, and to develop new features and functionality;
• to research, analyze, develop, manage, protect and improve our programs and services, including our App and Website;
• to manage our organization and day-to-day organizational and operational needs;
• to establish and maintain communication with employees, volunteers, funding partners and other service providers;
• comply with our legal obligations; and
• fulfill other purposes related to any of the above.

Contest information

Earth Rangers’ App or Website occasionally feature contests in which children may voluntarily participate. In order to claim prizes, the winners of these contests will be required to provide their address and may provide their name, email address and phone number (the “Contest Registration Information”). The Contest Registration Information is used only for the purposes of awarding contest prizes. The Contest Registration Information will be solicited only with parental notification. Contest Registration Information is destroyed at the conclusion of the contest.

Youth Volunteer Program

Earth Rangers supports youth to engage in environmental projects in their community. Earth Rangers will collect, use and disclose personal information of participants in order to provide and operate the Program, including the information provided in one-on-one video or other interactions with Earth Rangers.

Job and volunteer applicants

If you apply for employment or to volunteer with Earth Rangers, in order to process your application, we may collect and process data about your career interests, past experiences, and employment history (“applicant data”).  Applicant data is used for staffing and recruitment activities, and to maintain an inventory of candidates for current and future work and volunteer opportunities.

De-identified, aggregate or anonymized information

We may also de-identify, aggregate or anonymize information to identify trends, manage our organizational and operational needs, develop collective fundraising groups; develop statistical information, understand how we are performing, monitor the fundraising success or develop relevant products, services or offers. Such information may also be shared with third parties for other analytical purposes but will not personally identify any individual and therefore is not subject to this Privacy Policy.

Will we disclose the information collected from members and donors?

Earth Rangers may disclose personal information collected from members and donors:

• to independent contractors of Earth Rangers who require the information to provide Earth Rangers with the services they were contracted for;
• to Earth Rangers’ affiliates and subsidiaries;
• to our third-party service providers (e.g. to process credit card transactions and store information);
• as part of our limited website display (first name and corresponding donation amount of donors) on our Website;
• to satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process, or enforceable governmental request;
• detect, prevent or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues;
• to enforce our rights; and
• as permitted or required by law.

Our third party service providers are prohibited from using any information for purposes other than internal support functions for Earth Rangers and have agreed to maintain the confidentiality of such information.

Retention and storage of your information/data

Earth Rangers retains personal information only for the amount of time needed to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected or as permitted by law, after which the personal information is destroyed.

Information collected from members and donors is stored on servers located in North America through third party service providers. Earth Rangers exclusively uses third parties that are subject to comparable privacy policies as ours and have in place demonstrable protections and safeguards for information use. Contracts in place with all third-party service providers ensure that this information is not used for other purposes and that confidentiality is maintained at all times.

Some of our service providers may store personal information in the United States or other countries and will be subject to the laws of the local jurisdiction. As a result, in certain circumstances, the United States and other foreign governments, courts, law enforcement agencies or regulatory agencies may be entitled to access the personal information collected and held by Earth Rangers. In addition, if you are visiting our website from a country other than Canada, your communication through our website or any of our services may result in the transfer of information across international boundaries. By using our programs, Website or App, you consent to the collection, storage, and processing of your information in Canada, United States and in any country to which we may transfer your information in the course of our operations.

Limited Application and Website Display

To encourage donor participation and to recognize donors for their outstanding contribution to conservation efforts in Canada, we display some donor’s or members’ first names and their corresponding contributions in our Application and on our Sites.  Member first names may be posted in our Wild Wire blog or on our Leaderboards.

What safeguards are in place to protect the personal information?

Personal information under Earth Rangers’ control is protected by physical, organizational and technological safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. For instance:

• We ensure that any information or data that is collected from members and donors has physical and electronic safeguards (password protection, encrypted donation and registration data, SSL protection, limited access to staff, and PCI compliance) that ensure that the information is securely protected.
• User nicknames and comments posted on the Earth Rangers Site are also moderated by professionally-trained staff to protect from displaying personal information.
• Earth Rangers information collected from members and donors is also always stored in an environment with limited access and with electronic and physical safeguards sufficient to protect access to the information.

The safety and security of your information also depends on you. Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) a password for access to certain parts of our website, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share your password with anyone.

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information transmitted to us. Any transmission of personal information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on or Website or App.

Children Under 18

As an organization that works closely with children we recognize the unique issues and concerns that collecting information from children gives rise to. We limit the information collected from children who register on our App and Website, require parental consent when necessary, and have special policies in place for dealing with children under the age of 18.

In order to protect children who uses our App and Websites, we have implemented a parental notification feature that operates as follows:

1. all members are required to provide us with an email address for their parent or guardian;
2. we then contact the parent or guardian through the email address informing them that their child has requested an Earth Rangers Membership, and providing them with a link to the Website’s terms and conditionsfor their review; and
3. the parent must then activate the account by clicking a link in that email.  The parent will then be required to provide a mailing address, phone number, substantially and agree to several terms listed on that page. Before activating the membership, the parent or guardian must acknowledge that they are the parent or guardian and over 18 years of age.; and
4. if for any reason, the parent or legal guardian does not wish to accept the terms and conditions or otherwise have their child enrolled as a member of Earth Rangers, they may then contact us at the contact information provided in the email (and in this Privacy Policy) and we will deactivate the child’s Earth Rangers Account.

Hyperlinks

Earth Rangers website may contain hyperlinks allowing users to visit other sites operated by other companies. Earth Rangers is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of any of such websites to which we link. If you access such third-party websites, either directly or via the website, you should review the privacy policy of each site.

Opt-out options

Parents are given the option through email, on the website, and in the App to opt their child out of our programs. Request for account deletions should be sent to membership@earthrangers.com.

Can a member or donor review their personal information?

If a member or donor would like to review their personal information or to update their personal information, please contact us writing using any of the contact methods outlined below. Before information is released, however, we will require additional verification to verify the requestor is the parent or guardian of the child.

Contact us

If you have any questions, concerns inquiries or complaints about this Privacy Policy or other privacy matters regarding Earth Rangers, please contact our Privacy Officer in writing at:

Email:         privacy@earthrangers.com

Mail:          
Chief Privacy Officer
Earth Rangers Foundation
9520 Pine Valley Drive
Woodbridge, Ontario
Canada
L4L 1A6

Please note that we may need to confirm your identity or request additional details in order to process your request.

Changes to our privacy policy

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, without notice, in our sole discretion, so please review it frequently. This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes to our personal information practices and services. The revised Privacy Policy will be posted on this website, including the last date it was modified. We will treat your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Policy in place at the time of collection of such information, or as you otherwise consent. Whenever you need to refer to this Privacy Policy you should refer to this website to ensure you have the most up to date version.