The Confidential Field Notes — How Your Data Is Protected
This Privacy Policy describes how Derek Evenwood, an individual entrepreneur operating Active Woman educational courses in San José, Costa Rica, collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal information when you visit his field journal website, submit an entry, or enroll in his courses. We treat your personal data with the same confidentiality and care that a naturalist treats his most sensitive field observations — with respect, discretion, and absolute integrity. This policy is designed to be transparent, comprehensive, and compliant with applicable data protection principles while ensuring you understand exactly how your information is handled within this journal.
When you submit an entry through the Sketchbook form, we collect the following categories of information: (a) Identity Information — your full name as provided in the Observer's Name field; (b) Contact Information — your email address (Correspondence) and telephone number (Contact Line); (c) Preference Information — your selected specimen from the catalogue (Select Specimen field) and any field notes or observations you provide; (d) Technical Information — your browser type, IP address, device information, and pages visited, collected automatically through standard server logs. We do not collect payment information through our website, as all financial transactions are handled through alternative arrangements communicated directly to you.
Your personal data is used exclusively for the following purposes: (1) to confirm and manage your journal entry and course enrollment; (2) to communicate with you regarding your programme, schedule changes, or important updates about our field observations; (3) to send you educational materials, course reminders, and wellness tips related to your selected specimen; (4) to improve our service offerings based on aggregated, anonymized feedback from our observers; (5) to comply with legal obligations under Costa Rican law. We never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. Your data remains in the private archives of this journal — never shared with external collectors or data brokers.
We store your information on secure servers with appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. While no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we implement industry-standard security practices including encrypted connections, access controls, and regular security audits. Your entry records are retained for the duration of your active enrollment plus a reasonable period thereafter (not exceeding 24 months) to comply with legal requirements and resolve any potential disputes. After this period, your data is securely deleted or anonymized, removed from the journal archives permanently.
Our field journal website uses minimal cookies necessary for basic functionality. We do not employ third-party tracking cookies, advertising pixels, or behavioral analytics tools. Any cookies used are session-based and expire when you close your browser. You may configure your browser to refuse cookies, though this may affect certain features of the sketchbook submission system. We respect your right to browse our catalogue without being followed by digital trackers or observation devices.
We do not share your personal information with third parties except in the following limited circumstances: (a) when required by law, court order, or governmental authority; (b) to protect our legal rights, property, or safety, or that of our observers and fellow naturalists; (c) in connection with a business transfer, merger, or acquisition, subject to strict confidentiality obligations. We do not use third-party analytics services, social media plugins, or advertising networks that would expose your browsing behavior to external entities. Your presence in this journal is strictly confidential.
As a valued observer of Derek Evenwood's field journal, you have the following rights regarding your personal data: (a) the right to access and receive a copy of your information; (b) the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data; (c) the right to request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements); (d) the right to withdraw consent for marketing communications at any time; (e) the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at support@activewoman.cr with the subject line "Privacy Request — Field Journal." We will respond within 30 days of receiving your request.
As our field observations are based in San José, Costa Rica, your data is primarily stored and processed within Costa Rica. We do not transfer your personal information to servers or service providers located outside of Costa Rica. If this policy changes in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy and obtain your explicit consent where required by applicable law. Your journal entry remains within the jurisdiction of our home base.
Our courses and field journal are intended for adult women aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under 18 years of age. If we discover that we have inadvertently collected data from a minor, we will promptly delete such information from our journal and records. Parents or guardians who believe their child has provided us with personal information should contact us immediately at support@activewoman.cr.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or operational needs. Any material changes will be communicated to you via email at least 14 days before they take effect. The "Last Updated" date at the bottom of this page indicates when the policy was last revised. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information in our field journal.
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data handling practices, please contact us: Derek Evenwood, Individual Entrepreneur, San José Coworking Space, Costa Rica. Email: support@activewoman.cr. Phone: +506 XXXX XXXX. We are committed to addressing your privacy concerns with the same attentiveness we bring to every observation in our field journal.
Last Updated: June 2026