Privacy Policy

Rhizome Restoration · rhizomerestoration.org

Last updated: August 2026

Introduction

Rhizome Restoration is a youth-led native plant restoration platform. We take privacy seriously, particularly because many of our members are under 18. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and how we protect it.

By creating an account on Rhizome Restoration you agree to the practices described in this policy.

Who We Are

Rhizome Restoration is an independent youth-led platform developed in partnership with the EcoRestoration Alliance. Our mission is to mobilize students and community members to restore native plant ecosystems through education, certified garden projects, and community action.

Information We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to operate the platform and recognize member contributions.

Account information: When you create an account we collect your name, email address, zip code, and age range confirmation. We do not collect your exact date of birth. We collect whether you are affiliated with a school and if so your school name and optional graduation year.

Learning and certification records: We record which lessons you have completed, your quiz attempt history including scores and dates, and your certification records including certificate numbers and issue dates. This information powers your member profile and the public certificate verification system.

Garden certifications: When you submit a garden certification we collect your garden location at town and state level only, never your exact street address or precise coordinates. We also collect the native species you planted, the approximate size of your garden, your planting date, and photos you upload of your garden.

Action submissions: When you submit a recognized initiative through the Act section we collect a description of what you did, supporting evidence text, any photos you upload, and the date of submission.

Club information: If you create or join a club we record your club affiliation and the date you joined.

Automatically collected information: We automatically assign your ecoregion based on your zip code. We record account creation dates and submission dates as part of normal platform operation.

Information We Do Not Collect

We do not collect your exact date of birth. We do not collect your home address or precise location. We do not collect payment information. We do not use advertising trackers or sell your data to third parties. We do not share your personal information with seed companies, nurseries, or other commercial partners.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes only.

To operate your account and display your profile, certifications, badges, and submissions.

To generate your downloadable certificates and power the public certificate verification system at rhizomerestoration.org/verify. The verification system displays only your first name and last initial, your level completed, and your certificate issue date.

To display certified garden locations on the national map at town and state level only.

To calculate aggregate impact statistics shown on the national map and site-wide dashboard. These statistics are always reported in aggregate and never identify individual members.

To send you account-related emails including your welcome email and submission status notifications.

To support research into community-scale native plant restoration. Any research use of platform data is aggregate and anonymized. Individual members are never identified in research outputs without explicit permission.

How We Protect Your Information

Your data is stored securely using Supabase, a trusted database platform with industry-standard encryption. Row Level Security policies ensure that each member can only access their own data. Administrators can access member data only for the purposes of reviewing submissions and managing the platform.

Photos you upload are stored securely and are not made publicly visible until an administrator approves your submission.

We do not share your personal information with any third party except as required by law.

Members Under 18

Rhizome Restoration is available to members aged 13 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are under 13 please participate through a teacher or club advisor who has created an educator account.

Members aged 13 to 17 are asked during signup to ensure a parent or guardian is aware of their account. We encourage parents and guardians to review this privacy policy.

Your Rights

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you. You have the right to correct inaccurate information by editing your profile. You have the right to request deletion of your account and associated personal data by contacting us at rhizomerestoration.org/contact. You have the right to opt out of research data contribution by contacting us at the same address.

Data Retention

We retain your account information and activity records for as long as your account is active. If you request account deletion we will delete your personal information within 30 days. Aggregate anonymized data used for research and impact reporting may be retained indefinitely since it contains no personal information.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify registered members of significant changes by email. The date at the top of this policy reflects when it was last updated.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your information please contact us at rhizomerestoration.org/contact.