Privacy Policy

Your Privacy Matters

 

Blevins Natural History Gallery, LLC respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information when you visit our website or interact with our services.

​​

Information We Collect

 

Information You Provide to Us

 

When you interact with our website, you may provide personal information, including:

• Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number

• Organization Details: School name, institution, or organization affiliation

• Inquiry Details: Message content, exhibit interests, specimen inquiries

• Newsletter Subscription: Email address for newsletter communications

• Purchase Information: Billing details, shipping address (when applicable)

 

We collect this information when you:

• Submit a contact form

• Sign up for our newsletter

• Inquire about exhibits or specimens

• Schedule a gallery visit

• Make a purchase (when available)

​​

Information Collected Automatically

 

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical information:

• Device Information: Browser type and version, operating system

• Usage Information: Pages visited, time and date of visit, time spent on pages

• Navigation Information: Referring website, clickstream data

• Network Information: IP address (anonymized for privacy)

​​

This information is collected through cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve your experience and our website functionality.​​​​​

​

How We Use Your Information

 

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• Communication: Respond to inquiries about exhibits, specimens, or gallery visits

• Service Delivery: Process exhibit bookings, specimen purchases, and gallery appointments

• Newsletter Distribution: Send updates about new specimens, exhibits, and educational resources (only if you subscribe)

• Website Improvement: Analyze usage patterns to enhance user experience

• Security: Monitor and protect against fraudulent activity

• Legal Compliance: Fulfill legal obligations and enforce our terms of service​​​​​

​

Legal Basis for Processing

 

We process your personal information based on:

• Your consent (newsletter subscription)

• Contract performance (exhibit bookings, purchases)

• Legitimate business interests (website improvement, security)

• Legal obligations (record-keeping requirements)

​​

How We Share Your Information

 

We Do Not Sell Your Information

 

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

 

Third-Party Service Providers

 

We share information with trusted service providers who assist in operating our website and conducting our business:

• Wix: Website hosting and platform services (Wix Privacy Policy)

• Google Workspace: Email communications (Google Privacy Policy)

• Payment Processors: Secure transaction processing (when applicable)

 

These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for specified purposes.

 

Legal Disclosures

 

We may disclose your information if required by law, legal process, or government request, or to:

• Enforce our Terms of Service

• Protect the rights, property, or safety of Blevins Natural History Gallery, LLC, our users, or the public

• Detect, prevent, or address fraud or security issues

​

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

 

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your browser when you visit our website. They help us provide you with a better experience by remembering your preferences and analyzing website performance.

​

Types of Cookies We Use

Our website uses the following types of cookies:

 

Essential Cookies (Required for website functionality)

• Security and fraud prevention

• Session management

• Core site functions and stability

• API protection

 

These cookies are necessary for our website to function and cannot be disabled.

 

Analytics Cookies (Optional, with your consent)

• Google Analytics for understanding visitor behavior

• Performance monitoring and site improvement

​

Cookie Duration

• Session cookies: Deleted when you close your browser

• Persistent cookies: Remain for specified periods (up to 12 months)

 

Managing Cookies

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings:

• Firefox Cookie Settings

• Chrome Cookie Settings

• Safari Cookie Settings

• Microsoft Edge Cookie Settings

 

To opt out of Google Analytics tracking across all websites, visit: Google Analytics Opt-out

 

Note: Disabling essential cookies may affect website functionality.

 

For more information about cookies, visit: All About Cookies

​

Third-Party Cookies

 

Our website may use third-party applications and integrations that place additional cookies. These include:

• Google Analytics

• Social media integration tools

• Payment processing services (when applicable)

 

These third-party services operate under their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review.

​

Newsletter Communications

 

What You'll Receive

​

When you subscribe to our newsletter, you will receive:

• New specimen announcements

• Explore Earth Exhibits updates and availability

• Educational resources and natural history stories

• Gallery events and special opportunities

​

Frequency: We typically send newsletters monthly, with occasional special announcements.​

​

Unsubscribe Options

​

You can unsubscribe at any time by:

• Clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any newsletter email

• Contacting us directly at info@bnhgallery.com

​​

Once you unsubscribe, you will be removed from our mailing list within 10 business days.

​

How We Protect Your Information

 

Security Measures

 

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information:

• Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption for data transmission

• Secure servers and databases

• Limited access to personal information (only authorized personnel)

• Regular security assessments and updates

​

Limitations

 

While we take security seriously, no internet transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of information transmitted to or stored on our website.

​

Data Retention

 

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to:

• Provide you with the requested services

• Comply with legal obligations

• Resolve disputes and enforce agreements

 

When information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it.

 

Retention Periods:

• Newsletter subscriptions: Until you unsubscribe

• Contact form inquiries: 3 years or until resolved

• Purchase records: 7 years (for tax and legal compliance)

• Website analytics: 26 months (Google Analytics default)

​

Your Privacy Rights

 

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

 

Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you

 

Right to Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information

 

Right to Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements)

 

Right to Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from newsletter communications at any time

 

Right to Object: Object to the processing of your information for certain purposes

 

Right to Data Portability: Request your information in a portable format (where applicable)

 

Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for processing based on consent

 

To Exercise Your Rights:

 

Contact us at:

• Email: info@bnhgallery.com

• Phone: (425) 628-0644

 

We will respond to your request within 30 days.

​

Children's Privacy

 

Our website is not directed to children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

​

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately. We will take steps to delete such information from our systems.

​

Educational Context: While Explore Earth Exhibits serves students of all ages, bookings are made by educators and institutions, not by children themselves.

​

International Data Transfers

 

Blevins Natural History Gallery, LLC is based in the United States. If you access our website from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where our servers and service providers are located.

​

By using our website, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other countries where data protection laws may differ from your jurisdiction.

 

California Privacy Rights

 

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

 

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the CCPA:

• Right to know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose

• Right to request deletion of your personal information

• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)

• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

 

To exercise these rights, contact us using the information provided in the "Contact Us" section.

​

Changes to This Privacy Policy

 

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors.

​

When We Make Changes:

• We will post the updated policy on this page

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top

• For material changes, we will provide prominent notice on our website or via email

 

Your Continued Use: Continued use of our website after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

​

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

​

Questions and Contact Information

 

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices:

 

Email: info@bnhgallery.com

Phone: (425) 628-0644

 

Response Time: We will respond to your inquiry within 10 business days.