Effective date: May 14, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how Wildlife Society (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and shares information when you visit wildlifesociety.org (the “Site”). By using the Site you agree to the practices described below.

Who we are

Wildlife Society is an independent editorial publication covering nature, sustainability, outdoor culture, and the evolving relationship between people, technology, and the environment. Our website address is https://wildlifesociety.org.

Information we collect

Information you provide

We collect information you submit directly to us, including when you:

• Leave a comment on an article (name, email address, optional website URL, and the comment itself).
• Send us a message through our contact form (name, email address, and the contents of your message).
• Correspond with us by email.

Information collected automatically

When you visit the Site, our servers and standard web infrastructure automatically log certain information, including your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, the pages you view, the date and time of your visit, and, when available, the referring URL. This information is used to operate the Site, prevent abuse, and diagnose technical problems.

If you leave a comment, your IP address and browser user agent string are also stored alongside the comment to help detect spam.

Cookies

We use a small number of cookies to keep the Site functioning correctly:

• Comment cookies. If you leave a comment and check the box to save your details, your name, email, and website are stored in a cookie on your device for up to one year so you do not have to re-enter them on a future visit.
• Session and login cookies. If you log in to a registered account (for example, as a contributor), we set short-lived cookies to maintain your session and remember your editor preferences.

You can block or delete cookies through your browser settings. Doing so may affect commenting convenience but will not otherwise prevent you from reading the Site.

Gravatar

When you leave a comment, an anonymized hash of your email address may be sent to the Gravatar service operated by Automattic so the service can return a profile image associated with that email, if one exists. After your comment is approved, that image is displayed publicly next to your comment. Automattic’s privacy policy is available at https://automattic.com/privacy/.

Embedded content from other sites

Articles on the Site may include embedded content (for example, videos or social media posts). Embedded content behaves exactly as if you had visited the originating website, which may collect data about you, use cookies, embed third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content. We do not control those third-party services and their privacy practices are governed by their own policies.

How we use information

We use the information described above to operate and improve the Site, to publish and moderate comments, to respond to messages you send us, to maintain security and prevent abuse, and to comply with applicable laws.

How we share information

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers. We use third-party providers for web hosting, spam filtering, content delivery, and similar back-end functions. These providers process information on our behalf and only as needed to deliver their service.
• Publicly visible content. Comments you choose to post (including the name and any website URL you provide) are visible to anyone who visits the relevant article.
• Legal compliance. We may disclose information if required by law, legal process, or a good-faith belief that disclosure is necessary to protect rights, safety, or property.
• Business transfers. If the Site is acquired or merged, information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to the protections described in this policy.

How long we keep information

Comments and their associated metadata are kept indefinitely so that follow-up replies can be recognized and threaded correctly. Contact-form messages are kept for as long as needed to handle your inquiry and a reasonable period afterward for record-keeping. Server logs are typically rotated within a few weeks.

Your choices

You can ask us to provide you with a copy of any personal data we hold about you, correct it, or delete it. To make a request, email [email protected]. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. Note that this does not include data we are required to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

Children

The Site is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can remove it.

Security

We use reasonable administrative and technical measures to protect information from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

External links

The Site contains links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any third-party site you visit.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Site after a change becomes effective constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact us

Questions about this policy or our privacy practices can be sent to [email protected] or through our contact page.