Privacy Policy - Multispecies Mutualisms

1. Information We Collect

2. How We Use Your Information

3. How We Share Your Information

4. Data Storage and Security

5. Data Retention

6. Your Rights and Choices

7. Children’s Privacy

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

9. Contact Us

Effective Date: 12th May, 2026

Ink & Water Ltd (“we”, “us”, or “our”) operates the website(s) at https://multispeciesmutualisms.org/ (the “Site”). We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and your rights regarding your data.

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

Automatically Collected Information

Device and usage data: IP address, browser type, operating system, referring pages, pages visited, time and date of access, and other standard web server log information.
Cookies and similar technologies: We may use essential cookies for site functionality. If we use analytics or marketing cookies (e.g., Google Analytics), we will obtain your consent via a cookie banner.

We do not collect sensitive personal information (such as health, racial, or financial data) unless explicitly provided by you in a form submission for a specific project inquiry.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

To respond to your inquiries.
To improve the Site’s functionality and user experience.
To detect and prevent security issues or abuse.
For internal administrative purposes, such as analytics (in aggregated, non-identifiable form where possible).

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share it only in these limited circumstances:

With service providers who assist us in operating the Site and providing services, including:
- WP Engine (hosting provider)
- Amazon Web Services (AWS), specifically S3 storage for files and backups
- MailerSend (transactional email service provider) to send automated emails such as form submission confirmations, inquiry responses, or other notifications triggered by actions on the Site (e.g., via Ninja Forms). MailerSend may use industry-standard technologies, such as invisible tracking pixels (web beacons), to collect limited data from email interactions (e.g., whether an email was opened, along with basic IP address, device, or email client information) to help monitor delivery performance and improve our communications. We typically rely on legitimate interests for this limited processing where applicable, but you can contact us with any concerns. MailerSend acts as our data processor under strict contractual obligations. See their Privacy Policy: https://www.mailersend.com/legal/privacy -policy.
- Mailchimp (via the MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress plugin) as our email marketing service provider to manage newsletter subscriptions and send transactional or promotional emails (if applicable). When visitors subscribe via forms on the Site, their provided details (e.g., name, email) are sent directly to Mailchimp for processing and storage. Mailchimp acts as our data processor under strict agreements. For more details, see Mailchimp’s Global Privacy Statement: https://www.intuit.com/privacy/statement/ and GDPR resources: https://mailchimp.com/gdpr
- Form processing or email service providers (if used, e.g., for notifications)
These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the purposes we specify.
If required by law, such as in response to a subpoena or court order.
In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets (with notice where required).

4. Data Storage and Security

Your data is hosted on servers provided by WP Engine (location: Europe (London)) and files may be stored in Amazon S3 storage (location: Europe (London)).
We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including encryption in transit (HTTPS), access controls, and secure hosting practices.
However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

5. Data Retention

Log data and analytics may be retained longer for security and performance purposes (typically up to 12–24 months), but in aggregated or de-identified form where possible.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have rights over your personal data, including:

Access to the data we hold about you.
Correction of inaccurate data.
Deletion of your data (subject to legal exceptions).
Restriction of processing or objection to processing.
Data portability (where applicable).

To exercise these rights, contact us at l.a.dunning@sheffield.ac.uk. We will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law (e.g., 30–45 days under CCPA/CPRA or GDPR).

You can also:

Opt out of cookies via our cookie banner (if implemented).
Unsubscribe from emails using the link provided.

7. Children’s Privacy

Our Site is not directed to children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If we become aware of such a collection, we will delete it promptly.

8. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review it periodically.