Privacy Policy

Section 01

Who we are

Heritage Rewilding Ireland is a mission-locked social enterprise registered in Ireland. We are the data controller responsible for your personal data collected through this website and our stewardship programme.

Our registered address is: Heritage Rewilding Ireland, Tramore, Co. Waterford, Ireland.

For all data protection enquiries, contact us at privacy@heritagerewilding.ie.

Note: This policy is governed by Irish law and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). If you are resident in California, USA, additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) may also apply — these are outlined in Section 8.

Section 02

Data we collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for the purposes described in this policy. We do not collect sensitive personal data such as health information, political views, or racial or ethnic origin.

Information you give us directly

Your first and last name
Your email address
Your country of residence
Your chosen stewardship plan and number of square metres
Any message content you voluntarily include in our registration form
Payment information — processed securely by our payment provider; we do not store card details

Information collected automatically

IP address and approximate location (country or region level only)
Browser type and device information
Pages visited and time spent on the site
Referring website or link

Information from third parties

If you connect with us through an Irish-American diaspora organisation or partner body, we may receive your contact details from that organisation — provided you have given them permission to share your data with us.

Section 03

How we use your data

We use your personal data for the following purposes only:

To process and manage your stewardship registration and subscription
To issue your Certificate of Stewardship with your name and plot reference
To provide access to wildlife camera feeds and the steward members hub
To send biodiversity updates, carbon sequestration reports, and seasonal news about your land
To communicate with you about your account, renewal, or changes to the service
To respond to enquiries or support requests you send us
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations
To improve our website and service through anonymised analytics

We will never sell your data to third parties, use your data for targeted advertising, or share your name or contact details with any commercial partner without your explicit consent.

Section 04

Lawful basis for processing

Under GDPR we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. We rely on the following:

Contract

When you become a steward, processing your name, email, and payment details is necessary to fulfil the stewardship agreement — including issuing your certificate and providing ongoing updates.

Legitimate interests

We use anonymised website analytics to understand how visitors use our site and improve it. This does not override your rights or interests.

Legal obligation

In some cases we may be required to process your data to comply with Irish or EU law — for example, for tax or accounting purposes related to your subscription.

Consent

Where we send marketing communications beyond direct stewardship updates — such as newsletters about rewilding news or new land projects — we will ask for your explicit consent first and make it easy to withdraw at any time.

Section 05

Who we share your data with

We share your data only with trusted third-party service providers who help us operate the stewardship programme. All providers are required to handle your data securely and in accordance with GDPR.

Payment processors — to securely handle annual stewardship subscriptions. We use PCI-DSS compliant providers and do not store card details ourselves.
Email service providers — to send certificates, updates, and stewardship communications.
Website hosting and infrastructure providers — to operate this website and the steward members hub.
Analytics providers — anonymised, aggregated usage data only. No personal data is shared for analytics.

We do not share your data with any other organisations, government bodies, or commercial third parties unless required to by law.

Section 06

International data transfers

Heritage Rewilding Ireland is based in Ireland and primarily processes your data within the European Economic Area (EEA). Some third-party service providers — such as email platforms — may process data in the United States or other countries outside the EEA.

Where this is the case, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place — such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission — to protect your data to the same standard required under GDPR.

Section 07

How long we keep your data

We keep your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected.

Active stewards: Retained for the duration of your subscription and up to 7 years afterwards, as required for financial and legal record-keeping under Irish law.
Enquiries (non-converting): Retained for 12 months and then deleted, unless you have consented to further contact.
Analytics data: Anonymised and aggregated — retained indefinitely as it cannot identify you.
Marketing consent records: Retained until you withdraw consent, plus a reasonable period thereafter for compliance purposes.

Section 08

Your rights

Under GDPR you have the following rights in relation to your personal data. You can exercise any of these by contacting us at privacy@heritagerewilding.ie. We will respond within 30 days.

Right of access

Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you.

Right to rectification

Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.

Right to erasure

Ask us to delete your data, subject to legal obligations.

Right to restriction

Ask us to pause processing while a dispute is resolved.

Right to portability

Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.

Right to object

Object to processing based on legitimate interests.

California residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act — including the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to delete it, and the right to opt out of its sale. We do not sell personal information. To exercise your CCPA rights, contact us at privacy@heritagerewilding.ie.

Right to complain

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission Ireland (DPC) at www.dataprotection.ie or by calling +353 57 868 4800.

Section 09

Cookies

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to help the site function correctly and to understand how visitors use it.

Essential cookies

Required for the website to operate — for example, to keep you logged in to the steward members hub. These cannot be disabled.

Analytics cookies

With your consent, we use anonymised analytics cookies to understand how visitors navigate the site. No personally identifiable information is collected. You can withdraw this consent at any time via our cookie settings or through your browser.

Section 10

Children

Our stewardship programme and this website are not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

Section 11

Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or the services we offer. When we make material changes, we will notify active stewards by email and update the date at the top of this page.

Continued use of this website or your stewardship subscription after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Section 12

Contact us

For any questions, requests, or concerns relating to this privacy policy or your personal data, please get in touch. We aim to respond to all enquiries within 30 days.