Confidentiality Form
Plants of Concern monitors must sign a Confidentiality Form, where monitors agree to not share the location of rare plant species with individuals outside of POC. Given the scarcity of these species, poaching and seed collecting without permission pose serious threats to these populations. Location information may only be shared with POC staff, the appropriate land managers, and other volunteers who will be assisting with monitoring. Keeping this information confidential is crucial for conservation.
Photography and Social Media
In order to keep location information confidential, we ask our monitors to use caution when photographing rare species and sharing photos online. Follow these practices when photographing and posting rare plants:
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
Never share site and species
Avoid geotagged pictures
Check the location settings on your phone or camera
Geotagging can be turned off
iNaturalist
Don't post POC species on the same day as common species
Don't post POC species in site bioblitzes
Ensure the location is fuzzed
If you're not sure, don't share!
Ideally, avoid posting POC species online and send your photos to POC staff. Photos are essential for our website and training materials; we would love to feature your work!