VEGETATION MAP PROJECT 2026 MID-YEAR PROGRESS REPORT

The VEGMAP Project is a national project capturing the terrestrial ecosystems of South Africa and this report presents the activities of the project team based on tasks co-created by the community of practice primarily by feedback and guidance provided by the National Vegetation Map Committee.

1. VEGMAP Project feedback:

The table is an overview of the progress since November 2025. Note that items completed in 2024 have been archived, and only active items are reflected:

Description/actions	Responsible person/s	Progress
NVMC members- identify support to assist them with proposal reviews.	All	On-going
Follow up with Mervyn- possible edits to Ithala Quartzite Sourveld	Anisha, Mervyn	Mervyn to visit the vegtype during PSG survey
Follow up with Simon- possible areas for arid regions changes.	Anisha, Simon	On-going
Collect publications/work of communities for other ecosystem types.	Anisha, Mervyn	On-going
Draft Guidelines for collecting data for the National Vegetation Map.	Anisha	Ongoing. one component will be rapid studies. Alastair has been testing Rapid 10 and has developed an analysis platform. Two VEGMAP students are testing the technique/tool as part of their Hons study.
Implement suggestions to poster, and explore map codes in main map	Anisha	Anisha to redo poster. Project was lost when computer and backup drive crashed
Enquire with Carol Poole - way to share the poster i.e. electronic version.	Anisha	see above
Provide feedback from Thicket cross-reference meeting in January	Anisha	A project report was drafted after the meeting. The issue was discussed at the GET Scientific Committee meeting in September 2026 and edits were requested to include features highlighted in the report that are not currently listed in the description of T1.2. This will be reviewed by the GET committee and circulated to experts globally (incl. SA experts) before the committee can compile a proposal for options to change the GET classification
Reshare the Forest subtyping proposal, spatial data and comment sheet highlighting areas of uncertainty for NVMC comment.	Anisha	Will be done in the coming weeks
Find a date for a Forest subtype workshop in March/April 2026.	Anisha	Postponed to 2027
Work with Alastair and make edits to the webpage with assistance from the BGIS team to effect the updates.	Anisha, Alastair	Ongoing
Mervyn to enquire about credits to SCGIS.	Mervyn	Ongoing
Explore partnership with WWF for hosting the application.	SANBI team	Ongoing
Outline NVM 20-year paper- invite NVMC + TERG members to co-author.	Anisha	Ongoing. Will be done in the coming months

Tasks from 2023 NVMC meeting

Description/actions	Responsible person/s	Progress
2025\| Anisha to make two mock-ups of a poster using NVMC feedback	Anisha	Complete draft: Worked with SANBI Interpretation Team. V2 shared with NVMC for comment.
2025\| Harvest iNat images outside VEGMAPhoto, & follow up with expert stock images	Anisha, Londiwe, Esethu	In Progress: We explored the AI Vision Language Demo in iNat as well as scrolling through all observations for SA and have tagged >50 images so far to VEGMAPhoto
2025\| VEGMAP team to continue with Mozambique edge-matching.	Anisha, Mervyn, Andrew	In Progress: mapping gaps and overlaps have been identified and project has been broke into P1: spatial fixes, P2: classification harmonisation.
2025\| Anisha to set up workshops to discuss EFGs crosswalks and SA functional groups with experts.	Anisha	In Progress: Presentation was made to Thicket Forum and AZEF in 2025. A workshop has been set for Thicket in January 2026
2024\| Set a date with NVMC to demonstrate iNat image upload	Anisha, Kagiso	In Progress: questionnaire was shared to see how many would like a workshop
2024\| Update written instructions for VEGMPhoto for users	Kagiso	In Progress: Update tutorial and instruction video for uploading CarryMap and iNat for people at conferences.
2024\| TERG members to table and discuss names for group	TERG	In Progress: Name under discussion but ‘VEGMAP Emerging Researchers Group’ has been tabled.
2024\| Explore standard drop-downs for certain fields	Anisha and Kagiso	On-going: This will be explored further when EDD is in a database.
2024\| Facilitating partnerships with NVD contributors	All	On-going: Committee members have assisted resulting in signed DSA’s
2024\| Alastair to report on alternative names for Thicket	Alastair	On-going: Alastair will keep us updated.
2024\| Develop draft classification hierarchy-types vs. subtypes	Tony Rebelo, VegMap team	On-going: Tony and Anisha began initial discussions
2024\| Compare current functional groups Cowling 1998	VEGMAP Team	Little progress: Anisha to pursue later in the year
2024\| Flag veg types with multiple biome affinities	Anisha and Alastair	Little progress.

Click here to view other ongoing tasks

2024: Coert to share the names and titles of his students theses to add to the VEGMAP research projects list,

2023: Follow up with NGI for high-res imagery, Follow-up VEGMAPhoto on iNaturalist arid landscape photos., Identify priority areas where the VegMap needs to be strengthened and refined, A4 Actions: Going forward add a reference date for all forest polygons captured for future versions of NVM, Refine Functional Vegetation Group/Functional models for vegetation types, increase the profile of the vegetation map

2. VEGMAPhoto (s Afr) Project on iNaturalist update:

We have collected observations for 312 vegetation types across the country so far and we have 276 members to date. Some corrections needed to be made from the previous numbers. This report corrects for ecosystem types that have been removed from our classification system. Over the past months we have been tagging observations with landscape images into the project but there are many more on the platform.

Latest distribution of iNaturalist observations for the VEGMAPhoto project. Areas in a darker shade have relatively more observations.

Click here to see number of iNaturalist observations per ecosystem type

Ecosystem Type	Number of observations
Aggeneys Gravel Vygieveld	1
Agter-Sederberg Shrubland	1
Agulhas Limestone Fynbos	5
Agulhas Sand Fynbos	7
Albany Bontveld	25
Albany Mesic Thicket	12
Albany Valley Thicket	1
Albertinia Sand Fynbos	2
Algoa Sandstone Fynbos	5
Aliwal North Dry Grassland	6
Amathole Mistbelt Grassland	9
Amathole Montane Grassland	15
Amersfoort Highveld Clay Grassland	39
Andesite Mountain Bushveld	11
Aoub Duneveld	124
Atlantis Sand Fynbos	11
Barberton Montane Grassland	3
Barberton Serpentine Sourveld	8
Basotho Montane Shrubland	64
Besemkaree Koppies Shrubland	28
Bethelsdorp Bontveld	1
Bhisho Thornveld	1
Bloemfontein Dry Grassland	153
Bloemfontein Karroid Shrubland	65
Blouputs Karroid	6
Bokkeveld Sandstone Fynbos	5
Boland Granite Fynbos	75
Breede Alluvium Fynbos	9
Breede Alluvium Renosterveld	3
Breede Quartzite Fynbos	1
Breede Sand Fynbos	5
Breede Shale Fynbos	2
Breede Shale Renosterveld	22
Buffels Mesic Thicket	44
Bushmanland Arid Grassland	29
Bushmanland Basin	6
Bushmanland Inselberg Shrubland	10
Bushmanland Sandy	1
Bushmanland Vloere	3
Canca Limestone Fynbos	2
Cape Flats Dune Strandveld	9
Cape Flats Sand Fynbos	94
Cape Lowland Alluvial Vegetation	5
Cape Seashore Vegetation	73
Cape Winelands Shale Fynbos	25
Carletonville Dolomite Grassland	61
Cederberg Sandstone Fynbos	19
Central Coastal Shale Band Vegetation	2
Central Free State Grassland	358
Central Inland Shale Band Vegetation	1
Central Mountain Shale Renosterveld	2
Central Richtersveld Mountain Shrubland	2
Central Ruêns Shale Renosterveld	11
Central Sandy Bushveld	4
Ceres Shale Renosterveld	2
Crocodile Gorge Mountain	2
Crossroads Grassland Thicket	14
De Hoop Limestone Fynbos	3
Die Plate Succulent Shrubland	1
Doringrivier Quartzite Karoo	1
Doubledrift Karroid Thicket	2
Drakensberg Afroalpine Heathland	2
Drakensberg Foothill Moist Grassland	20
Drakensberg Wetlands	15
Drakensberg-Amathole Afromontane Fynbos	11
Dwaalboom Thornveld	15
Dwarsberg-Swartruggens Mountain Bushveld	10
East Griqualand Grassland	1
Eastern Free State Clay Grassland	58
Eastern Free State Sandy Grassland	88
Eastern Gariep Plains Desert	1
Eastern Gariep Rocky Desert	2
Eastern Gwarrieveld	4
Eastern Highveld Grassland	2
Eastern Inland Shale Band Vegetation	3
Eastern Little Karoo	12
Eastern Lower Karoo	3
Eastern Ruêns Shale Renosterveld	3
Eastern Temperate Freshwater Wetlands	5
Eastern Upper Karoo	63
Eastern Valley Bushveld	18
Egoli Granite Grassland	6
Elgin Shale Fynbos	9
Elim Ferricrete Fynbos	38
Escarpment Arid Thicket	8
Escarpment Mesic Thicket	3
Fish Arid Thicket	12
Fish Valley Thicket	8
Frankfort Highveld Grassland	1
Gamka Arid Thicket	2
Gamka Karoo	17
Gamka Valley Thicket	4
Garden Route Granite Fynbos	13
Garden Route Shale Fynbos	1
Geluk Grassland Thicket	73
Ghaap Plateau Vaalbosveld	8
Goariep Mountain Succulent Shrubland	1
Gold Reef Mountain Bushveld	32
Gordonia Duneveld	39
Gordonia Kameeldoring Bushveld	149
Gordonia Plains Shrubland	8
Goukamma Dune Thicket	3
Graafwater Sandstone Fynbos	5
Grahamstown Grassland Thicket	2
Granite Lowveld	3
Grassridge Bontveld	6
Greyton Shale Fynbos	2
Grootbos Strandveld	1
Hamburg Dune Thicket	16
Hangklip Sand Fynbos	24
Hantam Karoo	5
Hantam Plateau Dolerite Renosterveld	3
Hawequas Sandstone Fynbos	84
Highveld Alluvial Vegetation	211
Hopefield Sand Fynbos	12
Income Sandy Grassland	162
Ithala Quartzite Sourveld	144
Kaalrug Mountain Bushveld	4
Kalahari Karroid	17
Kango Limestone Renosterveld	1
KaNgwane Montane Grassland	5
Karoo Escarpment Grassland	17
Kathu Bushveld	142
Kimberley Thornveld	61
Klerksdorp Thornveld	33
Knersvlakte Shale Vygieveld	1
Knysna Sand Fynbos	2
Koedoesberge-Moordenaars Karoo	2
Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos	101
Koranna-Langeberg Mountain Bushveld	1
Kouebokkeveld Alluvium Fynbos	2
Kouebokkeveld Shale Fynbos	1
Kouga Grassy Sandstone Fynbos	2
Kouga Sandstone Fynbos	3
Kuruman Mountain Bushveld	52
Kuruman Vaalbosveld	14
KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Belt	28
KwaZulu-Natal Highland Thornveld	5
KwaZulu-Natal Hinterland Thornveld	19
KwaZulu-Natal Sandstone Sourveld	10
Lambert’s Bay Strandveld	1
Langebaan Dune Strandveld	5
Legogote Sour Bushveld	1
Lesotho Highland Basalt Grassland	73
Limpopo Ridge Bushveld	3
Little Karoo Quartz Vygieveld	1
Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos	30
Low Escarpment Moist Grassland	6
Lower Gariep Alluvial Vegetation	39
Lower Gariep Broken	109
Lower Karoo	1
Lowveld Riverine	2
Madikwe Dolomite Bushveld	2
Mafikeng Bushveld	2
Makatini Clay Thicket	7
Malelane Mountain Bushveld	1
Mamabolo Mountain Bushveld	3
Mangrove Forest	8
Maputaland Coastal Belt	23
Maputaland Wooded Grassland	20
Marikana Thornveld	4
Matjiesfontein Shale Fynbos	1
Matjiesfontein Shale Renosterveld	10
Midlands Mistbelt Grassland	14
Molopo Bushveld	5
Montagu Shale Fynbos	1
Montagu Shale Renosterveld	1
Mooi River Highland Grassland	10
Moot Plains Bushveld	5
Mossel Bay Shale Renosterveld	1
Mthatha Moist Grassland	3
Muscadel Riviere	2
Musina Mopane Bushveld	3
Namaqualand Blomveld	3
Namaqualand Coastal Duneveld	5
Namaqualand Heuweltjie Strandveld	1
Namaqualand Inland Duneveld	1
Namaqualand Klipkoppe Shrubland	3
Namaqualand Riviere	1
Namaqualand Seashore Vegetation	2
Namaqualand Strandveld	1
Namib Lichen Fields	1
Nanaga Savanna Thicket	3
Nieuwoudtville Shale Renosterveld	1
Nieuwoudtville-Roggeveld Dolerite Renosterveld	2
Norite Koppies Bushveld	1
North Langeberg Sandstone Fynbos	5
North Rooiberg Sandstone Fynbos	2
North Sonderend Sandstone Fynbos	8
North Swartberg Sandstone Fynbos	1
Northern Afrotemperate Forest	13
Northern Coastal Forest	48
Northern Drakensberg Highland Grassland	105
Northern Escarpment Dolomite Grassland	2
Northern Escarpment Quartzite Sourveld	10
Northern Free State Shrubland	108
Northern Inland Shale Band Vegetation	3
Northern KwaZulu-Natal Moist Grassland	1
Northern KwaZulu-Natal Shrubland	9
Northern Mistbelt Forest	3
Northern Upper Karoo	64
Northern Zululand Mistbelt Grassland	1
Northern Zululand Sourveld	4
Olifantshoek Plains Thornveld	7
Oudshoorn Karroid Thicket	1
Overberg Dune Strandveld	14
Overberg Sandstone Fynbos	84
Paulpietersburg Moist Grassland	3
Peninsula Granite Fynbos	42
Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos	63
Piketberg Quartz Succulent Shrubland	1
Piketberg Sandstone Fynbos	13
Pilanesberg Mountain Bushveld	5
Polokwane Plateau Bushveld	15
Pondoland-Natal Sandstone Coastal Sourveld	17
Postmasburg Thornveld	47
Potberg Ferricrete Fynbos	21
Potberg Sandstone Fynbos	8
Prince Albert Succulent Karoo	2
Queenstown Thornveld	3
Rand Highveld Grassland	5
Richtersberg Mountain Desert	1
Richtersveld Sheet Wash Desert	1
Robertson Granite Fynbos	4
Robertson Granite Renosterveld	24
Robertson Karoo	33
Roggeveld Karoo	1
Roggeveld Shale Renosterveld	1
Ruêns Silcrete Renosterveld	1
Saldanha Flats Strandveld	3
Saldanha Granite Strandveld	4
Saldanha Limestone Strandveld	2
Sand Forest	13
Scarp Forest	9
Schmidtsdrif Thornveld	1
Sekhukhune Montane Grassland	1
Sekhukhune Mountain Bushveld	1
Senqu Montane Shrubland	13
South Eastern Coastal Thornveld	1
South Hex Sandstone Fynbos	13
South Langeberg Sandstone Fynbos	5
South Outeniqua Sandstone Fynbos	12
South Sonderend Sandstone Fynbos	7
Southern Afrotemperate Forest	28
Southern Coastal Forest	2
Southern Drakensberg Highland Grassland	20
Southern Kalahari Mekgacha	32
Southern Karoo Riviere	4
Southern KwaZulu-Natal Moist Grassland	6
Southern Lebombo Bushveld	64
Southern Mistbelt Forest	11
Soweto Highveld Grassland	111
Springbokvlakte Thornveld	5
St Francis Dune Thicket	2
Steenkampsberg Montane	8
Stella Bushveld	1
Steytlerville Karoo	1
Subantarctic Coastal Vegetation	1
Subtropical Alluvial Vegetation	23
Subtropical Dune Thicket	2
Subtropical Seashore Vegetation	3
Sundays Arid Thicket	163
Sundays Mesic Thicket	81
Sundays Valley Thicket	10
Suurberg Quartzite Fynbos	3
Suurberg Shale Fynbos	6
Swamp Forest	3
Swartberg Shale Fynbos	2
Swartberg Shale Renosterveld	11
Swartland Alluvium Fynbos	12
Swartland Granite Renosterveld	13
Swartland Shale Renosterveld	21
Swartland Silcrete Renosterveld	4
Swartruggens Quartzite Karoo	3
Swaziland Sour Bushveld	72
Swellendam Silcrete Fynbos	10
Tanqua Escarpment Shrubland	3
Tanqua Karoo	7
Tanqua Wash Riviere	4
Tarkastad Montane Shrubland	5
Tembe Sandy Bushveld	134
Thukela Valley Bushveld	2
Transkei Coastal Belt	7
Tsakane Clay Grassland	1
Tsitsikamma Sandstone Fynbos	2
Tsomo Grassland	24
Tzaneen Sour Bushveld	1
uKhahlamba Basalt Grassland	5
Uniondale Shale Renosterveld	1
Upper Gariep Alluvial Vegetation	7
Upper Karoo	14
Vaal Reefs Dolomite Sinkhole Woodland	1
Vaalbos Rocky Shrubland	29
Vaal-Vet Sandy Grassland	98
Vanstadens Forest Thicket	1
Wakkerstroom Montane Grassland	1
Waterberg Mountain Bushveld	4
Waterberg-Magaliesberg Summit Sourveld	8
Western Altimontane Sandstone Fynbos	1
Western Coastal Shale Band Vegetation	6
Western Free State Clay Grassland	45
Western Highveld Sandy Grassland	4
Western Little Karoo	12
Western Maputaland Clay Bushveld	13
Western Ruêns Shale Renosterveld	2
Western Sandy Bushveld	8
Western Upper Karoo	12
Winburg Grassy Shrubland	739
Winterhoek Sandstone Fynbos	35
Woodbush Granite Grassland	1
Xhariep Karroid Grassland	44
Zastron Moist Grassland	129
Zeerust Thornveld	2
Zululand Lowveld	164
Western Maputaland Sandy Bushveld	26
Buffels Valley Thicket	7

3. Mapping and classification update:

BGIS has uploaded a map viewer for NVM 2024 that can be accessed here. The following mapping and classification work has been identified for future proposals in the coming years. This includes new information, existing information from older maps, or work emerging from our students:

Mapping proposals that still need review from NVMC:

Eastern Little Karoo: Annelise and Jan Vlok noted that a few polygons currently mapped as Eastern Little Karoo should be reassigned to Willowmore Gwarrieveld and North Kammanassie Sandstone Fynbos. We have prepared a proposal for consideration by the NVMC. We have pasted the link here again: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1KE6a5Nf9FG5uq6L2Oveu5mTQRIFRH5Xl?usp=drive_link. Kindly review the proposal and provide feedback.

Mapping proposals:

Bushmanland Inselberg Shrubland: 19 inselbergs were mapped north of Springbok by Laetitia Osborne based on plots she sampled in field. We will relook at these polygons and send to the NVMC to review.
Possible Forest/Riparian areas in Duiwenhoks: Data points sent through by Stephan Goets to be investigated with Coert.
Southern Afrotemperate Forest: Refined mapping by 2023 interns needs to be reviewed. Interns used georeferenced historical imagery for this mapping like we did with the mangroves for NVM 2024. This will be recompiled and share with the NVMC in the coming weeks

Classification and hierarchy:
1. National Forest types work still needs attention. A well overdue workshop will be convened in 2027.

4. Terrestrial Emerging Researchers Group update:

Current students/interns on the NVMC:

Name	Year began	Research Area/Progress
Teagan Moolman (UP), Hons	2026	Maputaland Wooded Grassland: refining the land cover within the type, and re-doing the RLE.
Onabo Ngada (UFS), Hons	2026	Southern Afrotemperate Forest (polygon outside George): Looking at imagery to refine the boundaries shift over time and mapping impacts on the polygons
Zinhle Shabalala (UFS), Hons	2026	Southern Afrotemperate Forest (polygon outside George): Collecting veg presence data using Alastairs Rapid10 method to describe communities within the type in natural and degraded areas.
Karabo Matseo (UFS), MSc	2026	Bloemfontein Bushveld (not yet in the NVM): Doing plots and using imagery to describe this type mapped by Johan Du Preez but never described therefore we cannot validate it yet.
Kagiso Mogajane (UCT), MSc	2026	Working on Renosterveld types and how we can measure ecosystem condition.
Jubilant Sithole Registered for Phd (UFS)	2025	Gd6 looking at effects of fire on communities, drafting papers from MSc
Curtley Tonkin (UCT), PhD	2025	Using satellite-derived Land Surface Phenology metrics to assess how climate extremes and environmental variables drive vegetation phenology dynamics across the Fynbos biome.
Stephni van der Merwe (UCT) Postdoc	2024	Working on an approach for Ecosystem condition across SA ecosystem types to allow accessing criteria C and D of the RLE

Current emerging researcher group members: Kagiso Mogajane, Samukelisiwe Msweli, Thapelo Kgomo, Joshua Giddy, Stephni van der Merwe, Curtley Tonkin, Jubilant Sithole, Mcebisi Qabaqaba, Abdul-Lateef Ismail, Londiwe Mokoena, Onabo Ngada, Zinhle Shabalala.

Graduation news

Jorenthia De Bruin (Wits), MSc

2024-2026

GRADUATED

Click here to view work from current and past TERG members who are contributing to the VEGMAP Project

Published: Jubilant Sithole masters paper on plant communities in Gd6, published in Koedoe
Paper in prep: Thapelo Kgomo masters paper on fire relative to plant communities in Robertson Granite Renosterveld.
Supervising VEGMAP Projects: Samukelisiwe Msweli supervising two students working on Southern Afrotemperate Forest
Working on Ecosystem Condition approaches for all ecosystem types: Stephni van Der Merwe as part of the SBAPP Project with UCT.

List of previous VEGMAP Students not currently TERG members:

Keyura Pather, Zothando Hasewu, Amy Schroeder

5. Progress on regional and global projects using the NVM:

SBAPP: The VEGMAP Teams and several committee members have been assisting Mozambique and Namibia in developing their maps of ecosystem types as well as taking the map through the Red List processes. In addition, we continue discussions about harmonising cross-border mapping and classification issues.
IUCN-GET crosswalk review meetings with experts: We co-hosted a meeting with the IUCN in January 2026 to discuss the issues with fitting the South African, South American, Asian, Australian and other African thickets into the IUCN GET. Many of the SA thicket types were assigned to T1.2 but several descriptors were a poor fit. A report was produced and will be shared with the IUCN GET Scientific Committee for consideration and review within the GET process for makign edits to the typology.
Global Ecosystems Atlas: Our NVMC Committee Chair, Dr Andrew Skowno, joined the GEO team earlier this year. He has prepared the data to include NVM2024 in the first full online release of the Atlas.
National Biodiversity Assessment: The National Biodiversity Assessment was launched on the 9th of December 2025 and can be accessed here: https://nba.sanbi.org.za/. The SANBI team is in the process of taking the updated list of threatened ecosystem through the review process for the gazette.

6. Communications: articles/products/fora:

Accepted, in copyediting: NVM2024 updates paper
National Forest Research Forum: We have been exploring a Forum for Forest related work and Anisha recently began attending the DFFE hosted NFRF which Johan Bester also attends. The forum is focused on building research funds for improving forestry yields in plantations. However, their mandate includes indigenous forests and Natural Forests so we have provided comment on a DSTI document calling for comment on research focus areas and we hope it will raise the profile of indigenous forest on the agenda.
NVM 20 years celebration items. Due to delays on the part of the secretariate (ME! Sorry) and funding constraints the 20 year celebration will be done in 2027 after we have turned 20 :) :
- 20 years on video diaries from NVMC and others: Please see the full request here
- 20 year taking stock paper: in prep
- 20 year celebration paraphenalia: on hold until funding is available.

8. Next feedback period and Annual meeting 2026

Next feedback report: Year end 2026

Our plans were to explore an in person meeting for 2026. However we have severe budget constraints. There are also several meetings going on in November and it is always a challenge to schedule around this time. Since we are late with this year’s meeting, it may be an It may be best to plan an online meeting in late January/early February 2027 to see if this time of year works better for the NVMC and reset our yearly schedule if it works for us. Kindly fill in this poll to indicate your support for exploring the annual NVMC in Jan/Feb: https://forms.gle/5bQ9E9bHHYFvsUsB7

We would also like to propose that our annual plenary meeting is always online. This will allow us to include others in our committee, especially the emerging researchers. We would also like to include more than one expert in some of the biomes but we cannot do this for an in person plenary. Having a larger plenary will allow us to have sub-committees for different areas of work which could meet in person periodically through the year. This is the model followed by other ecosystem committees at SANBI. For example the Thicket subcommittee could meet at the Thicket Forum making meetings more cost-effective. But all subcommittees report back to the plenary. On the poll above please also indicate your support for this format of NVMC meetings.