Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Wonder is in Our Nature®

Privacy Policy

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (“PNNM”) is committed to safeguarding the privacy of visitors to its website. This Privacy Policy applies to naturemuseum.org and any other websites owned or operated by PNNM, including mobile sites or apps (collectively, the “Sites”). By visiting the Sites, you accept this Privacy Policy and PNNM’s Terms of Use, which are hereby incorporated. If you do not agree with these policies, please do not use the Sites.

Changes and Updates: PNNM may revise this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post any changes on this page and update the date at the top, so be sure to check back periodically to stay aware of any modifications. Your continued use of the Sites after changes have been posted will constitute your acceptance of this Privacy Policy and any changes.

What information we collect:  PNNM may ask for and collect from you personally identifiable information at various points throughout the Sites. Depending on what services you receive from PNNM (e.g., camp registration), you may be asked to provide your name, gender, email address, mailing address, phone number, credit card information, diet and allergy information, medications, health conditions and emergency contact information.

We may also collect any information you post on the blog or other similar publicly accessible system offered by PNNM. These interactive features are accessible to the PNNM community and the general public. Accordingly, use caution before posting any personal or sensitive information on public interactive features, such as the PNNM blog. Please refer to our Terms of Use for more information on the use of these features.

Donor Privacy Policy: PNNM will not share or sell a donor’s personal information with anyone else, nor send donor mailings on behalf of other organizations unless the donor has given PNNM specific permission to do so.

Cookies and Other Online Tracking Technologies:  PNNM may also automatically collect information about how visitors use the Sites, and may use cookies or other similar technologies to help use and compile statistics. This information may include log file information such as Internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, browser language, pages viewed, and the date and time of a visit. 

While our Sites do not respond to web browser “do not track” signals, we do not track your online activity over time across third party websites when you use our Sites, nor do we engage or permit third parties to track your online activity over time and across different Websites when you use our Sites.

How we use and disclose this information:  PNNM may use and disclose your information in the following ways:

  • To process and respond to inquiries and for the purposes for which you provided the information, such as to process donations, register or renew your membership, provide merchandise, or provide information about a project. In sending us an electronic message, you send us certain personal information (e.g., name and e-mail address). We may store the name and address of the sender in order to respond or otherwise handle the subject of the e-mail.
  • To subscribe to distance learning programs:We collect information through our online subscription form in order to provide distance learning programs to educators and to improve our services by learning about the teacher population it serves. All subscription information is kept confidential and is not distributed or sold to others.
  • To process membership applications: We collect information from membership applicants to process Museum memberships. This information may be shared with third parties who may have an interest in receiving our membership list information. If you do not want us to share your information, please so indicate at the time you fill out the application.
  • We collect and store information for statistical purposes. For example, we may count the number of visitors to the different sections of our site to help us make them more useful to visitors. This information is not personally identifiable and may be processed to improve the functioning of our Sites and understand how the Sites are being used.
  • To facilitate participation in chat rooms: PNNM does not collect any personally identifiable information from chat rooms, however, visitors should be aware that when they voluntarily disclose personal information (e.g., user name, e-mail address) in the chat room, that information can be collected and used by others and may result in unsolicited messages from other parties.
  • To alert you to new projects, features, special events and services.
  • To provide feedback to PNNM and to conduct surveys to measure your satisfaction with our service.
  • To enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and PNNM.
  • To protect PNNM’s rights or property or the safety of PNNM, our members, or others.
  • To comply with any court order, legal process, or respond to any governmental or regulatory request.
  • To transfer information in the event of a merger, transfer of assets or other organizational restructuring.
  • To evaluate our Sites and identify where we should make changes or expand services.

PNNM may use third-party service providers or other third party organizations helping to support PNNM’s mission that may collect, store, or process your personal information, including payment information on PNNM’s behalf, in order for PNNM to provide its services to you or to outsource one or more of the functions described above. PNNM does not share or sell personal information with third parties for their own purposes.  PNNM processes your information on servers located in the United States.

Children: The Sites are not directed toward children under 13 years of age nor does PNNM knowingly collect information from children under 13.  If you are under 13, please do not use the Sites or submit any personally identifiable information to PNNM.

Third Party Websites: Our Sites may contain links to other websites provided by third parties.  Please be aware that we do not control these third party websites or any of the content contained on those websites.  Once you have left our Sites, we cannot be responsible for the privacy practices of such other websites.  We encourage you to exercise caution and to read the privacy policy for the website you visit.  The inclusion of hyperlinks to third party websites on our Sites in no way constitutes an endorsement by us of such websites’ content, actions or policies.

Security:  PNNM is committed to maintaining your confidence and trust, and takes steps to help protect the personal information you provide to us. However, no transmission or electronic storage of information is guaranteed to be secure. We therefore urge you to always use caution when transmitting information over the Internet.

Contact Us:  If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding this Privacy Policy, or to update any information you have provided us, please send us an email at info@naturemuseum.org.

Terms of Use

Welcome to the website of the Chicago Academy of Sciences/Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (“CAS/PNNM”, “our” or “we”).  The CAS/PNNM website, which includes all content, features, and services (the “Content”) available on naturemuseum.org (the “Website”) is provided to Website users (“you”) under the following terms of use (the “Terms”). Please carefully read the terms and conditions before you use any images, data, text or other materials on this Website.  If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not use the Website or any Content.  Your use of the Website constitutes your acknowledgment that you have the legal authority to bind yourself to these Terms.  You acknowledge and agree that you have read and are hereby bound by these Terms and agree to comply with all applicable laws, regulations and/or rules with regard to your use of the Website and Content. 

  1. Accessing and Using the Website

You acknowledge and agree that we may restrict, suspend or terminate access to the Website or portions thereof at any time in our sole discretion.  We will not be liable if, for any reason, all or any part of the Content or Website is unavailable at any time or for any period.

  1. Intellectual Property Rights

This Website and all Content and other materials on it are the property of CAS/PNNM unless otherwise noted.  This agreement gives you no ownership rights to any materials on this site. So long as you comply with these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-assignable, nonexclusive, revocable license, without right of sublicense, to access and use the Website solely for your personal, non-commercial use.

Use of the Website or Content for any other purpose requires CAS/PNNM’s prior written approval. Permission for such use is granted on a case-by-case basis at the sole discretion of CAS/PNNM or the appropriate rights holder and a usage fee may apply. For permission or more information about using the Website contact info@naturemuseum.org.

  1. Changes to the Website, Content and Terms

CAS/PNNM may make changes to the Content and the Website (including adding or removing Content) or to these Terms from time to time in its sole discretion without notice to you. All changes to the Terms are effective immediately when we post them and apply to your access to and use of the Website and Content thereafter. Additionally, CAS/PNNM may require you to follow or expressly agree to supplemental guidelines or conditions in order to participate in certain programs, access certain areas of the Website, or use certain services on the Website. Your continued use of the Website following the posting of changes to these Terms means that you accept and agree to the changes. You are expected to check this page from time to time to review the current Terms.

  1. Copyright

This Website and all Content and other materials on it are protected under United States copyright laws, which give creators of original works of authorship the exclusive right to use their works for a limited period of time.  With certain exceptions, copyrighted materials may not be used or copied without permission of the copyright holder.  These Terms describe the uses that you are permitted to make of the materials on this site.

[If you are a copyright owner or agent thereof and believe that content posted on this Website infringes upon your copyright, please submit notice to webmaster@naturemuseum.org with the following information:

  • An electronic or physical signature of the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright;
  • Identification of or a representative list of the work you believe has been infringed;
  • Identification of the material that you claim is infringing or the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled;
  • The URL of the location on the Website containing the material that you claim is infringing;
  • Your address, telephone number, and email address;
  • A statement that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
  • A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the above information in your notice is accurate and that you are the owner or authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.] 
  1. Prohibited Behavior

You are responsible for all material, information, questions, comments, or data (“User Content”) you upload, post, email, transmit, or otherwise supply to CAS/PNNM via the Website or by any other means. You may not use the Website to:

  • Transmit or post any User Content that is illegal, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortious, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, pornographic, invasive of another’s privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically, or otherwise objectionable as determined by the CAS/PNNM in its sole discretion;
  • Transmit or post any User Content that infringe any intellectual property right or privacy right of any person or entity. By transmitting or posting User Content to or through the Website, you represent and warrant that you have the right to do so;
  • Transmit or post any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising or promotional material (e.g. “Spam”, chain letters, junk mail, etc.);
  • Collect or store third parties’ personal data or transmit, without authorization, any material containing the personally identifiable information or confidential information of a third party or entity;
  • Impersonate another person or entity, including without limitation CAS/PNNM or any of its representatives, or misrepresent your affiliation with another person or entity;
  • Disrupt or interfere, directly or indirectly, with the Website in any manner that may materially adversely affect CAS/PNNM or any third party;
  • Transmit any virus or malicious code, program, or file designed or known to disable interrupt, or limit the functionality or any computer hardware, software, or equipment or facilities; or
  • Remove, disable, circumvent, damage, or otherwise interfere with the security related features of the Website or any features that restrict use or access to the Website or that enforce limitations on use of the Website. 
  1. Submissions

Any User Content you supply to CAS/PNNM by any means will be treated as non-confidential and non-proprietary and may be used by CAS/PNNM or its affiliates as described in these Terms.

  1. Public Posting

If you post information, images, or other materials to the Website, you agree that you will comply with all requirements and procedures for posting on the Website that may be given. CAS/PNNM does not endorse any opinions or recommendations posted or transmitted by you or others. Any materials posted to or transmitted using the Website are the responsibility of the person or persons posting the materials. CAS/PNNM shall have the right, but not the obligation, to inspect, remove, refuse or delete any content for any reason whatsoever.

CAS/PNNM  is under no obligation to monitor or review discussions, chats, postings, transmissions, bulletin boards, or other similar materials on the Website or on its official social media accounts and assumes no responsibility or liability arising from such content or materials or for any error, defamation, libel, slander, harassment, omission, falsehood, obscenity, pornography, danger, or inaccuracy contained in content posted by third parties to the Website or to official CAS/PNNM social media accounts. Users may request the removal of any material that appears inappropriate or in violation of these Terms by contacting webmaster@naturemuseum.org.

  1. Third Party Sites

Some CAS/PNNM web pages may contain links to third party websites. The linked sites are not under the control of CAS/PNNM and CAS/PNNM is not responsible for the contents of any linked website. These links are provided as a convenience only and should not be construed as an endorsement of, sponsorship of, or affiliation with the linked website by CAS/PNNM. Under no circumstances shall CAS/PNNM be held responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any loss or damages caused or alleged to have been caused by use of or reliance on any content, goods or services available on such sites, or as a result of use of any information you provide to such sites. Any concerns regarding any external link should be directed to its respective site administrator or webmaster.

  1. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE USE OF THIS WEBSITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE WEBSITE IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS. CAS/PNNM EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WITH RESPECT TO THE WEBSITE, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. CAS/PNNM ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE CONTENT OF THE WEBSITE. CAS/PNNM EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACTION OF ANY THIRD PARTY USER USING THE WEBSITE. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO THE PRECEDING MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. CAS/PNNM MAKES NO WARRANTY OR ASSURANCE THAT THE WEBSITE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, OR WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, COMPLETE, AND ERROR-FREE. YOU UNDERSTAND AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY WITH RESPECT TO ANY DEFECT IN OR DISSATISFACTION WITH THE WEBSITE IS TO CEASE TO USE THE WEBSITE.

CAS/PNNM further reserves the right to withdraw any Content from the Website at its sole discretion at any time. CAS/PNNM assumes no liability for any damages or losses that may occur to you or any third party based on its actions or your use of the Website. In the event that the Website is unavailable, either on a temporary or permanent basis, CAS/PNNM assumes no liability for any losses that may occur to you or any third party arising out of the unavailability of the Website. CAS/PNNM assumes no responsibility, and shall not be liable for, any damages to, or viruses that may infect, your computer equipment or other property related to your use of the Website or your downloading of any materials from the Website.

  1. Limitation on Liabilities

CAS/PNNM, ITS AFFILIATES, TRUSTEES, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND OTHER AGENTS AND REPRESENTATIVES SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, DIRECT, EXEMPLARY, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, COMPENSATORY, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES (EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES) WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING PROPERTY DAMAGE, LOSS OF GOODWILL, LOSS OF USE, LOSS OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC LOSS, LOSS OF DATA OR LOSS OF PROFITS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE USE OF THIS WEBSITE OR ANY CONTENT. YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK.

YOU UNDERSTAND THAT SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS OR THE DISCLAIMER OF SOME TYPES OF DAMAGES, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.  IN SUCH EVENT, CAS/PNNM’S TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY TO YOU AND ANY OTHER PARTIES WILL BE THE MINIMUM AMOUNT PERMITTED BY LAW.

  1. Term and Termination

These Terms and your right to use the Website and Content will terminate automatically if you breach these Terms.  Upon termination of these Terms, you will cease all use of the Website and Content and destroy all copies thereof.

  1. Severance and Waiver

You acknowledge and agree that if any provision of these Terms shall be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from these Terms and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions. Furthermore, if any provision of these Terms is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, the parties nevertheless agree that the court should endeavor to give effect to the parties’ intentions as reflected in the provision. CAS/PNNM’s failure to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision unless acknowledged and agreed to in writing by CAS/PNNM.

  1. Choice of Law

The Website is controlled by CAS/PNNM from its offices within the State of Illinois. Users choosing to access the Website do so at their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws. You agree that: (i) the statutes and laws of the United States and the State of Illinois, without regard to conflicts of laws principles, will apply to all matters relating to these Terms and your use of the Website and Content and (ii) any litigation will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state or federal courts in Cook County, Illinois.  You hereby consent and submit to personal jurisdiction of such courts and to extra-territorial service of process. You agree that, regardless of any statute or law to the contrary, any claim or cause of action arising out of or related to use of the Website or any Content or these Terms must be filed by you within one (1) year after such claim or cause of action arose or be forever barred. You further agree that any disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with your use of the Website or any Content or these Terms will be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action.