FAQ
General
Why the name Mongabay?
“Mongabay” is derived from the name of a small island in Madagascar’s Bay of Antongil: Nosy Mangabe.
“Nosy” is the Malagasy word for “island”, while “mangabe” means blue or beautiful. The island is home to stunning chameleons, bizarre leaf geckos, jewel-like frogs, and several species of lemurs, including the unusual aye-aye. It is surrounded by coral reefs and a rich breeding ground for humpback whales.
Besides honoring a special place, the choice of “Mongabay” had another advantage: the term was completely unique. If you typed “mongabay” into the leading search engines of the time of Mongabay’s founding, you got zero results, making it easy to track performance of the site.
Who started Mongabay and why?
Mongabay.com was started by Rhett A. Butler in 1999 out of his passion for wildlife and wild places. Originally focused on tropical forests and freshwater fish, after 2005 the site grew to become a popular environmental news service. Today Mongabay draws over 6 million visitors per month.
Mongabay.org – a non-profit organization – was formed in 2012 to facilitate the development of new education and journalism initiatives and leverage Mongabay’s existing network, traffic, and reputation. We aim to raise awareness about social and environmental issues relating to forests and other ecosystems. Mongabay.org, the web site, functions as the “about page” for our work, with information about our programs, staff, finances, and management. Mongabay.com is the primary distribution platform for content produced under Mongabay.org.
What is Mongabay?
Mongabay is an environmental science news and information service. It is not an advocacy organization.
Is Mongabay credible?
Whenever possible, Mongabay uses peer-reviewed journals and scientists as sources of information for environmental science articles. The site has been recognized as an important and credible information source on forests and biodiversity by individuals at a wide range of institutions, from NGOs to government agencies to private sector entities.
Is Mongabay a primary source?
Mongabay does original news reporting and analysis of data, which makes it a primary source in some cases. In other cases, Mongabay covers reports and research from third parties, including NGOs and academic journals. Mongabay typically cites its sources in its reporting.
What’s the difference between Mongabay.com and Mongabay.org?
Mongabay.com is the distribution platform for content produced under Mongabay.org programs. The Mongabay.org site primarily serves as a portal for learning more about the organization and its programs.
Advertising revenue generated by Mongabay.org content appearing on Mongabay.com goes directly to support Mongabay.org programs.
Where is Mongabay located?
Mongabay has no office. Our staff and contributors work from wherever they are most productive.
How do I contact Mongabay?
Mongabay is best contacted via email.
Our mailing address is 1259 El Camino Real #150, Menlo Park, CA, 94025.
What is that muppet-looking creature on your web site?
Our mascot is the scale-crested pygmy tyrant, a bird that lives in Central and northern South America.
Rhett chose the scale-crested pygmy tyrant because it both prompts questions and dwells in an important habitat that Mongabay is helping to conserve via a partnership with Anthrotect, an organization working with Afro-indigenous and Embera communities to protect forests in Colombia’s Darien region.
Content
I found an error. What do I do?
We strive for fairness and accuracy in our reporting. If you find an error, please don’t hesitate to contact us. If we find the error warrants correction, we’ll do so as quickly as possible.
I’m having a technical problem with the web site. Can you help me?
Please contact us so we can look into the issue. It would be helpful to have the URL of the affected page, your browser information (IE on Window XP, iPhone 5c, Chrome on OSX Yosemite, etc), and a brief description of the problem.
I’ve identified a copyright issue on Mongabay or I’ve found someone using Mongabay content in a manner that breaches your terms and conditions. What should I do.
Please contact us.
Does Mongabay have a mobile app?
Most of Mongabay is designed to be device responsive. We launched a mobile app in 2018 that’s available in the Play store. We are a member of Apple News for iOS.
How else can I get Mongabay content besides the web site?
We offer a variety of RSS feeds. We also have newsletters.
And of course we’re active on social media, including Twitter and Facebook.
What is your readership?
Rhett discussed readership in a FAQ he did in early 2015. Additional details are available on our readership page.
Copyright
Can I use pictures that are copyright mongabay.com or wildmadagascar.org in my presentation?
Yes, it is permissible to use mongabay images in powerpoint presentations when they were taken by a Mongabay staffer (typically denoted in the caption or if they have a Mongabay watermark), provided images are not altered in any form.
Is it OK to print pictures from mongabay.com or wildmadagascar.org for my personal use?
Yes, it is permissible to print mongabay images for personal or academic if the images were taken by a Mongabay staffer (typically denoted in the caption or if they have a Mongabay watermark).
Can I post pictures from mongabay.com or wildmadagascar.org on my web site?
It is permissible to use Mongabay pictures (e.g. those labeled with Mongabay) on your web page for educational or non-commercial purposes. Photos from mongabay.com and wildmadagascar.org, and related sites should not be altered or modified and the Mongabay label found on images should not be removed. If you would like to use images from the site more extensively, please contact us.
Note: permission does not extend to third party images that appear on Mongabay. You need to seek permission directly from the original copyright holder.
Commercial use: I would like to use mongabay.com content in a publication. Is that ok?
To use extended mongabay.com content (full articles) for a print or online newsletter, book, memo, or any other type of distribution that doesn’t fall under terms noted on the specific article, you need permission from Mongabay.com. Permission is granted on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us.
High resolution versions of most photos and images on the site are available.
Donations
How can I help support Mongabay?
You can donate online here.
If you’d prefer to donate by mail, you can send a check to:
Mongabay
1259 El Camino Real #150
Menlo Park, CA, 94025
How is Mongabay funded?
Mongabay is funded primarily via grants and donations. Advertising, merchandise sales, photo licensing and sales, and content syndication account for a small share of revenue.
Where can I see Mongabay’s annual report and IRS filings?
Our annual reports and 990 filings can be found on Mongabay.org.
Why should I support Mongabay?
Mongabay is an independent provider of news, information, and analysis on a range of environmental issues. We produce upward of 4,000 articles annually in half a dozen languages. We also support journalists who publish in third party media outlets.
Is my contribution tax-deductible?
Mongabayorg Corporation is a public charity has tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to Mongabay.org may be deductible to U.S. taxpayers under section 170 of the Code.
Is my credit card info safe?
Mongabay does not process or retain any credit card information. Your donation is processed via Paypal, Amazon.com, or JustGive.org, depending on which option you select.
What is Mongabay’s Federal Tax Identification Number/Employer Identification Number (EIN)?
Our Employer Identification Number is 45-3714703.
How do I get help with making a donation?
Please contact us.
Do I get anything for my donation besides supporting awesome content?
To minimize the environmental footprint and maximize the yield of our donation program, we don’t currently offer swag in exchange for donations. However we do have a membership program that offers member benefits.
Can I make a recurring donation?
Yes, follow this link.
How do I cancel my recurring donation?
You can find instructions here.
Can Mongabay receive matching corporate donations?
Yes, Mongabay is recognized as a 501(c)(3)
Can I make a gift of appreciated securities to Mongabay?
Yes, please contact us.
Will Mongabay sell my personal information?
Mongabay will not sell or lease your information. Please see our privacy policy for more details.