COS Social Media Community Guidelines

The Chicago Ornithological Society promotes the appreciation and conservation of birds in the Chicago region. Through appreciation, advocacy, work, and support, we strive to make the world a better place for birds and each other. People of all different backgrounds and experiences are welcome to join in this mission and we support diversity, equity, and inclusion in all our membership and all activities. 

Through social media, we seek to create an inspiring, inclusive, educational, and fun community. You are invited to engage in our social media accounts and participate in healthy and productive discourse on celebrating, protecting, and conserving the natural world, especially birds.

We reserve the right to delete any comments or block users that fall outside of our values and guidelines outlined below:

Be Kind and Courteous

Contribute to a welcoming environment. Treat everyone with respect, especially during disagreement. Healthy debate is natural, but no insults, name-calling, or personal attacks.

Make Sure Everyone Feels Safe

Bullying, cursing, and harassment of any kind is not allowed, and degrading comments about race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender, or identity will not be tolerated.

Share What’s Valuable

We encourage comments, questions, and suggestions based on what we post, but please stay on topic. Self-promotion, advertising, spam, posts for political gain, and irrelevant links are not acceptable. We reserve the right to remove content that is fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading.

Respect Everyone’s Privacy

We recommend that you don’t post any information that may identify you or anyone else, such as your address, email address, or phone number. If people are identifiable in your photos, make sure you have their permission before posting.

Respect Intellectual Property

Before posting, make sure you have the right to post protected intellectual property, including copyrights, trademarks, and service marks.

Protect Nature  

Respect the diverse array of birds, plants, and animals in our region and beyond. Before posting, make sure you are demonstrating or supporting ethical ways to observe and photograph sensitive species that are susceptible to disturbance by human behavior. Refer to our social media policy on sensitive species for more detailed information.

Have Fun and Connect

Enjoy connecting and engaging with fellow bird lovers and nature fans.