Privacy Policy

Plants Above Treeline Association​
Last updated: 9 November 2026

Plants Above Treeline Association (PAT) respects your privacy and is committed to handling personal information responsibly and transparently.

This Privacy Policy explains how PAT Association collects, uses, stores and shares personal information in connection with:

• PAT Association membership;

• applications for the Joint Botanical Tours (JBT) Grant;

• enquiries about Student Placements at the Valdres Alpine Garden Project;

• related correspondence and administration.

 

This Privacy Policy applies to PAT Association. It does not generally cover purchases or other commercial transactions with PAT Nursery & Services, which is operated separately. Where information is shared with PAT Nursery & Services for a specific membership benefit or where you separately choose to receive commercial communications, this is explained below.

Separate privacy information may apply to tour bookings or other activities where additional personal information is required.

 

1. Who is responsible for your information?

Plants Above Treeline Association (PAT) is responsible for the personal information processed for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

Contact: info@alpine-plants.com
Website: www.alpine-plants.com

Postal address:
Plants Above Treeline
Raasokvn. 58
1900 Fetsund
Norway

 

2. What information do we collect?

PAT Association membership

When you register as a member of PAT Association, we collect:

• first name;

• last name;

• email address;

• country of residence;

• membership status and relevant membership administration information.

 

We may also retain the date you joined or ended your membership and correspondence relating to your membership.

If PAT Association introduces additional membership categories in the future, we may collect information necessary to administer the membership category you select.

 

Joint Botanical Tours Grant applications

When you apply for a JBT Grant, we collect information including:

• name;

• email address;

• country of residence;

• age at the start of the excursion;

• PAT membership status;

• destination and tour dates;

• botanical interests and experience;

• motivation;

• learning expectations;

• information about the importance of financial support.

 

We may also retain application dates, assessment notes, decisions and related correspondence.

Student Placement enquiries

 

When you enquire about a Student Placement at the Valdres Alpine Garden Project, we collect:

• name;

• email address;

• country of residence;

• educational institution, if provided;

• field of study;

• preferred placement period;

• learning interests and objectives;

• any additional information you choose to provide.

 

We may also retain enquiry dates, correspondence and the outcome of discussions.

Please do not include health information, identification document numbers, bank details or other sensitive information in an initial grant application or Student Placement enquiry.

 

If additional information is required following an awarded grant or confirmed placement, we will explain why the information is required and how it will be handled.

 

3. Why do we use your information?

Membership administration

We use membership information to:

• register and administer your membership;

• communicate with you about your membership;

• provide information about PAT Association activities;

• verify eligibility for membership benefits;

• maintain appropriate membership records;

• manage changes to or termination of membership.

 

Where membership includes benefits provided in cooperation with PAT Nursery & Services, such as a member discount, the minimum information necessary may be used to verify that you are an eligible PAT Association member.

JBT Grant

 

We use JBT Grant application information to:

• check eligibility;

• assess applications against the published criteria;

• communicate decisions;

• administer awarded grants.

 

We use Student Placement information to:

• respond to enquiries;

• assess whether an appropriate educational opportunity may be available;

• discuss learning objectives;

• discuss practical arrangements;

• coordinate an agreed placement.

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4. Legal basis for processing

We process personal information only where we have an appropriate legal basis under applicable data protection law.

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For membership administration, we process information where necessary to establish and administer the membership relationship and provide membership benefits. Depending on the particular processing activity, this may be based on Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or PAT Association's legitimate interests under Article 6(1)(f).

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For initial JBT Grant applications and Student Placement enquiries, we generally rely on our legitimate interests in administering PAT Association's non-profit educational activities fairly and responding to requests under GDPR Article 6(1)(f).

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Where processing is necessary to enter into or fulfil a specific grant, placement or other agreement, GDPR Article 6(1)(b) may apply.

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Where we are required to retain or process information to comply with a legal obligation, we rely on GDPR Article 6(1)(c).

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Where you have separately consented to receive marketing or other optional communications, we may rely on your consent under GDPR Article 6(1)(a).

 

You may withdraw such consent at any time.

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5. Membership communications and commercial marketing

PAT Association may contact members with information reasonably connected to their membership, including information about:

• PAT Association activities;

• membership administration;

• member benefits;

• educational opportunities;

• events and initiatives organised by the association.

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Membership information is not automatically used for unrelated commercial marketing by PAT Nursery & Services.

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If you separately choose to receive news, offers or other commercial communications from PAT Nursery & Services, this will be based on a separate voluntary choice or consent.

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Choosing not to receive commercial marketing does not affect your PAT Association membership.

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You may withdraw a marketing consent at any time.

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6. Membership benefits provided by PAT Nursery & Services

PAT Association members may be eligible for benefits offered by PAT Nursery & Services, including discounts available to members.

Where necessary to provide or verify such a benefit, PAT Association and PAT Nursery & Services may use the minimum information required to confirm:

• your identity;

• your current PAT Association membership status;

• your eligibility for the relevant member benefit.

 

Membership information used for this purpose will not automatically be used by PAT Nursery & Services for unrelated marketing.

Purchases, orders, payments, shipping information and other information collected directly in connection with transactions with PAT Nursery & Services are outside the general scope of this PAT Association Privacy Policy and may be covered by separate privacy information.

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7. Who may receive your information?

Access to personal information is limited to people authorised to administer the relevant PAT Association activity.

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For Student Placements, necessary information may be shared with the owner of the privately owned Valdres Alpine Garden Project where required to assess or arrange a practical learning opportunity.

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Where appropriate, information relating to an agreed Student Placement may also be discussed with your educational institution.

Where necessary to provide or verify a PAT Association member benefit, limited information may be shared with PAT Nursery & Services as described above.

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Wix and other relevant service providers may process personal information on behalf of PAT Association to operate the website, forms and related digital services.

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Information may also be disclosed where required by law.

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PAT Association does not sell personal information.

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8. Website, forms and service providers

PAT Association uses Wix services to operate its website and online forms.

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Information submitted through PAT Association forms may therefore be processed using Wix and relevant service providers.

PAT Association limits access to authorised users and takes reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure.

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9. International processing

Wix and its service providers may store or process information in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA), including the United States and Israel.

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Where required, international transfers are handled using applicable data protection safeguards, which may include adequacy decisions or Standard Contractual Clauses.

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Information about Wix's privacy and international data transfer arrangements is available through the Wix Privacy and Trust Centre.

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10. How long do we keep your information?

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, unless a longer retention period is required by law or justified by another legitimate need.

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Membership records

Information necessary to administer an active PAT Association membership is normally retained for as long as the membership remains active.

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When a membership ends, personal membership information will normally be deleted or anonymised within six months, unless there is a specific reason to retain particular information for longer.

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Unsuccessful JBT Grant applications

Information relating to unsuccessful JBT Grant applications is normally deleted within three months after the selection decision has been communicated.

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Student Placement enquiries

Student Placement enquiries that do not result in a placement are normally deleted within three months after the enquiry has been closed or the last relevant correspondence.

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Awarded grants and agreed placements

Initial applications, enquiry narratives and related assessment notes are normally deleted within six months after the relevant activity and administrative follow-up have been completed, unless a specific need justifies longer retention.

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Financial and legally required records

Where information forms part of financial, accounting or other legally required records, only the necessary information is retained for the period required by applicable law.

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We may retain information for longer where necessary to resolve an ongoing complaint, dispute or legal claim.

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Non-identifying statistics may be retained after personal details have been removed.

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11. Your rights

Subject to applicable data protection law, you may have the right to:

• request access to personal information we hold about you;

• request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;

• request deletion of your personal information;

• request restriction of processing;

• object to processing based on legitimate interests;

• request data portability where the legal conditions apply;

• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

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Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the consent was withdrawn.

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To exercise your rights or ask a question about the processing of your personal information, contact:

info@alpine-plants.com

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You may also lodge a complaint with the Norwegian Data Protection Authority (Datatilsynet) or another competent supervisory authority.

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12. Ending your membership

You may end your PAT Association membership at any time by contacting PAT Association or by using any membership cancellation method made available on the website.

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When your membership ends, your membership benefits will also end.

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Personal information associated with the membership will be handled in accordance with the retention rules described in this Privacy Policy.

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13. Automated decision-making

PAT Association does not make decisions about JBT Grant applications, Student Placements or membership solely by automated means where such decisions would have legal or similarly significant effects.

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14. Changes to this Privacy Policy

PAT Association may update this Privacy Policy if its activities, membership arrangements, website services or legal obligations change.

The current version will be made available on the PAT website.

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Where a change materially affects how members' personal information is used, PAT Association may provide additional information or notification where appropriate.