SM Booysen is a season field guide, expert birding specialist, and an accomplished wildlife photographer with decades of experience in conservation and eco tourism. After receiving a National Diploma in Agricultural in 1979 at the Technicon Pretoria. He spend 25 years farming in South Africa North West Proince before transitioning to wildlife guidingwhen his farm was incorporated into Madikwe Game Reseve. With FGASA Level 2 certification aand specialist birding training, Maans led game drives and walks in Big Five territory for 8 years, later expanding his expertise to guiding birding tours across Southern, Eastern and Western Africa. His work includes bird assessment for renewable energy projects, seabird transects on research vessels, ad participation in the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project since 2015. Since October 2022, Maans has been part of the logistics team for the Wilderness Project, supporting research and conservation expeditions as part of the Great Spine of Africa series and now serves as Senior Land Support Manager. As a keen photographer Maans contributed images to renowned field guides and publications such as Africa Birds and Birding and The Ultimate Companion for Birding in Southern Africa. With a 908 recorded bird species in Southern Africa and 895 photographed, his work is featured in The Robert's App and various other leading birding resources.