Safeguard Your Personal Data While Helping Forests
Understand how we protect your information while you contribute to vital woodland conservation research.
Our Privacy Commitment to Citizen Scientists
When we first started mapping sudden oak death outbreaks, we tracked everything on paper clipboards. The transition to digital data collection changed how fast we could respond to forest pathogens. It also introduced new responsibilities.
You trust us with your location data and contact details when you submit a leaf sample. We treat that information with the same rigor we apply to our sample handling protocols. This document outlines what happens to your data from the moment you log a tree's coordinates to the publication of our annual disease maps.
Read through these practices so you know how your contributions are handled.
Information We Collect During Your Participation
What exactly do you track when I use the Sodblitz platform?
We collect two distinct types of information. First, we gather scientific data: GPS coordinates of sampled trees, photographic evidence of symptoms, and collection dates. Second, we collect participant details: your name, email address, and mailing address if we need to send you collection kits.
We do not track your background location. The app only records GPS data when you actively submit a sample.
Your Rights Regarding Your Personal Information
Many new volunteers assume that once they submit a sample, their data is locked away forever. You actually retain full control over your personal profile.
You can request a complete export of your submission history at any time. If you decide to step away from the project, you have the right to ask us to delete your account and associated contact details. We process these deletion requests in a period shy of 30 days.
Be aware that while we can erase your personal profile, the anonymized ecological data—like a positive pathogen result at a specific latitude and longitude—remains in the scientific record. We maintain this specific geographic data to preserve the integrity of our multi-year research collaboration.
How We Use Your Data for Environmental Research
Your submissions directly fuel our disease ecology models.
We use your contact information strictly for operational purposes. We will email you to confirm sample receipt, share test results for your specific trees, and notify you about upcoming local training sessions. We never use your email for third-party marketing.
The geographic data you provide helps us build predictive maps showing where woodland conservation efforts are needed most urgently.
Data Sharing with Research Partners and Agencies
Who else sees this information?
We share anonymized dataset aggregates with state forestry departments and university research groups. This shared data includes infection status and coordinates, but strips out your name and contact information. We rely on secure, encrypted servers to store the master database.
If a government agency requests specific user data, we require a valid legal subpoena before complying. We believe in open science, but we draw a hard line at protecting the identities of our citizen scientists.
Policy Updates and Contact Information
Research methodologies evolve, and our privacy practices occasionally need to catch up.
We will notify you via email if we make material changes to how we handle your data. You can always find the most current version of this policy right here.
If you have specific questions about our data retention practices or want to exercise your privacy rights, reach out through our Contact page. Our data protection team reviews all inquiries weekly.