We will continually review and update this privacy notice to reflect changes in our services and feedback from advisors and service users, as well as to comply with changes in the law.
1. Purpose of the processing and the legal basis for the processing:
Fife Nature Records Centre uses personal information provided by you to assist with delivering and providing a range of services as part of our official authority.
Wildlife sightings
We collate wildlife sightings into an electronic database, so the information can be easily used for the benefit of biodiversity. This could be in different ways, for example: development planning, site management or other decision-making, or informing surveys, conservation projects or research.
When you share a wildlife sighting with us, correspondence will be stored in our systems, and as the person who told us about it, your name and the contact details you provide will be added to a database and may be used to contact you about this sighting.
For a wildlife sighting to be useful, as well as knowing what was seen and where and when for verification purposes we also need to know who saw it (known as the observer or recorder) and who identified it (the determiner). This means that when you share a sighting with us, as the observer/recorder or determiner, your name (and/or any other names you provide), will become part of that record and will be stored in our systems and database. Contact details you provide will also be stored in this database and may be used to contact you about your record.
Enquiry and support service
We offer services to provide information to those requiring species records or other details of species, habitats or designated sites. We also offer other support relating to wildlife recording, such as help with identification, mapping, wildlife recording advice and related technical support. If you enquire about or use these services, we will store correspondence in our systems and add your name and contact details as provided into a database in order to contact you in relation to the requested service and, if applicable, any related payment.
Mailing lists
We use email to circulate details of upcoming training courses, events, volunteering opportunities and other news relevant to Fife Nature Records Centre and wider biodiversity. We will only keep your personal details for this purpose for as long as you wish to continue hearing from us and you can ask to be removed at any time by emailing nature.info@fife.gov.uk.
We also keep focused email distribution lists, for example, groups developing a recording specialism following attendance at one of our training workshops. You would only be added to such a list with your permission, and you may opt out at any time.
As a member of the Fife Recorders Group or Fife Nature Records Centre Steering Group, your contact details will be used to circulate details of meetings and relevant documents, plus relevant news, events and opportunities.
Events and training
We arrange events including wildlife recording days and workshops on wildlife recording and identification. After you register to attend, the contact details you provide will be stored and used to contact you in relation to that event, including providing information about the event, in the case of variation or cancellation, or to ask for feedback to improve future events. At the conclusion of an event, you may be asked if you wish to be added to a mailing list related to the focus of the event (such as to receive details of next-level training or focused recording days) or to the general Fife Nature mailing list. If you do not opt in to being added to a mailing list (see “Mailing lists” section for more information), your contact details will be removed from our systems once the event is over.
Due to the nature of the events we run, it can be necessary to ask you for additional information for health and safety purposes, for example: details of an emergency contact and information about any relevant accessibility, mobility or medical considerations or allergies. These details will be deleted from our systems following the conclusion of the event.
Volunteering
When you apply to be a volunteer, we will use standard Fife Council volunteer forms to gather your personal information. Details provided during recruitment, including details of referees, will be stored in our systems and used only in relation to your application. Once registered as a volunteer, the details provided will only be used to contact you in relation to agreed volunteering activity and related opportunities. Emergency contact details will only be used for the intended purpose, and only if necessary.
Surveys and projects
If you are taking part in a survey or project on our behalf in a voluntary capacity, we will ask you to register as a volunteer (see “Volunteering” section). Note that in partnership projects you may have registered your details with a project partner, rather than us, in which case you should refer to their privacy policy. If it is necessary for the effective running of the project for these details to be shared with us, they will be stored securely within project files.
Whether you are participating as a volunteer or in a paid capacity in a survey/project we or Fife Council have organised or are a partner in, your name (and role/organisation where relevant) will be included in the survey or project files for verification and project monitoring purposes. See the “Wildlife sightings” section for further information about why and how we process your details in relation to wildlife records generated.
If you are a landowner in an area relevant to a survey or project, we may need to obtain and store your details for contact purposes; correspondence may be stored where relevant to project activity.
We may receive survey and project documents from external sources. These will be stored and processed by us either to extract the wildlife sightings (see “Wildlife sightings” section) or under other agreement, such as custodianship when that is appropriate for best use of the information.
2. The categories of personal data processed by Fife Nature Records Centre:
In most instances, the personal data we collect and process will be your name and contact details. Exceptions and details are outlined in the following sections.
Wildlife sightings
When you send us a wildlife sighting, we will always ask you to provide at least one form of contact detail – email, telephone number or postal address – but may not use all information on all occasions.
Enquiry and support service
If you request species records or other details of species, habitats or designated sites, we will always ask you to complete a data request form, which asks for name, email address, telephone number and postal address. If you request other support or guidance, this will not usually require a form to be completed and details may be obtained through correspondence.
Mailing list
Email distribution lists are managed using email software. We will include your name and contact details as provided, plus your organisation and role if appropriate/relevant. You would only be added to such a list with your permission and may opt out at any time by emailing nature.info@fife.gov.uk.
We may sometimes need to hold information elsewhere on our systems, for example: listing the members of particular groups, such as the Fife Recorders Group, Fife Nature Records Centre Steering Group or those developing a recording specialism following attendance at one of our events. We may also include your recording specialism or experience, or the sector you represent (if relevant) in this list.
Event attendance
The personal information we will use is your name, contact details and, if relevant, organisation and recording experience/expertise. For your safety, it can be necessary to also collect details of an emergency contact and information about any relevant mobility or medical considerations or allergies.
Volunteering
When you apply to be a volunteer, the information required includes your name and contact details; details of criminal convictions and relevant medical conditions or disabilities; qualifications, employment history and volunteering experience; interests, hobbies and skills; availability; signature; and, details of referees, including name, contact details and role.
When you become a volunteer, you will sign up to a working agreement. This includes your name and contact details, emergency contact details and your signature, and may include additional information relating to a recruitment decision.
Surveys and projects
If you are taking part in a survey or project on our behalf in a voluntary capacity, we will ask you to register as a volunteer (see “Volunteering” section). In a partnership project, the partner you register your interest with may arrange your involvement and carry out all communications. In this case, we will usually process only your name. If you are carrying out a survey in a paid capacity, the details processed will be as required for the purposes of the contract.
If you are a landowner, personal details we may process include your name and address and often a telephone number and/or email address.
3. Any recipient or categories of recipients of the personal data:
Wildlife sightings
Your contact details will not be shared with any third party without your express permission.
Your name or any other names you indicate as being the recorder/observer or determiner for the wildlife sighting will form part of the species record. These names may be passed on to trusted partners as part of a species record. They will be shared with recognised experts for verification purposes and trusted external organisations or partners for collation into appropriate aggregations of wildlife records. We will not usually need to include names alongside records we provide through our enquiry service.
Enquiry and support service
The personal details you provide will not usually be passed to anyone else, unless payment is involved, when we will share the necessary details with the appropriate Council department to enable this transaction.
Mailing lists
The general Fife Nature mailing list is managed by Fife Nature Records Centre. The contact details you provide for this purpose are not shared with anyone else without your express permission.
The contact details you provide when joining a focussed email distribution list will not be shared with others without your express permission, for example: to allow group discussion.
As a member of the Fife Recorders Group or Fife Nature Records Centre Steering Group, your contact details will be available to others in the group unless you have requested that they are not to be shared. They will not be shared with anyone else without your express permission. If you hold an official role, for example, Vice County Recorder, the details you make publicly available to undertake this role may be provided to others on request.
Events and training
We will not share the contact details you provide on registering to attend an event with anyone else, except with your express permission. If the event is being held in partnership with another party, for example a training workshop led by an external expert, we will need to make them aware of appropriate factors such as accessibility, mobility or medical considerations or allergies.
Volunteering
It may be necessary to share some of your personal details with an appropriate Council department so that you can fulfil the volunteer role, for example: when we are arranging appropriate system access or payment of agreed expenses. Otherwise, the contact details you provide when applying to be, or once registered as a volunteer will not be shared with anyone else without your express consent.
Surveys and projects
All details provided may be shared with project partners and will be used for project purposes only, unless another consent is sought. See “Wildlife sightings” and “Volunteering” sections for other relevant information.
4. The source the personal data originates from and whether it came from publicly accessible sources (including information gathered about third parties e.g. where we have gathered information about a third party during discussions with a service user):
If you hold an official role, for example, Vice County Recorder, we may gather details made publicly available to be used in this capacity. We may receive personal details you have provided to another party in relation to a particular survey or project as a project partner or under a custodianship agreement. In all other cases, we will only hold personal details about you that you have provided yourself or have given permission to be passed to us.
5. Whether the provision of personal data is part of a statutory or contractual requirement or obligation and possible consequences of failing to provide the personal data:
Wildlife sightings
In the event that we did not obtain and use this information then it would not be possible to verify the sighting, meaning lesser quality data of very limited use.
Enquiry and support service
Your personal data is required for contractual reasons so we can undertake the service requested. Without this information, we cannot provide you with this service.
Mailing lists
Your personal data is required if you want us to keep in touch with you and let you know about upcoming training courses, events, volunteering opportunities and other news relevant to Fife Nature Records Centre and wider biodiversity.
If you want to be part of the Fife Recorders Group, and in order for us to keep in touch with you, we need your contact details, plus information about your expertise and role (where applicable).
If you agree to be a member of the Fife Nature Records Centre Steering Group, we need your contact details and information about your expertise and role (where applicable) in order for the Steering Group to function properly and communicate.
Events and training
In the event that we did not obtain and use this information then it would not be possible for you to attend the event.
Volunteering
In the event that we did not obtain and use this information then it would not be possible for you to become a volunteer.
Surveys and projects
In the event that we did not obtain and use this information then it would not be possible for you to take part in a project/survey.
6. The existence of automated decision-making, including profiling and information about how decisions are made, the significance and the consequences:
Fife Nature Records Centre does not use any automated decision-making or profiling tools.
