Dear All,
We’re often asked this question. Nature conservation is at the heart of our lives. We live in an approximately 6000 acre Natural Protected Area with abundant wildlife, birdlife and Natural Fauna and Flora. We have Nyala (antelope species in Southern Africa), Zebra, Kudu, Impala, Lynx, an occasional Leopard and abundant snakes (we have caught and released hundreds of them but cant seem to catch the Black Mamba that lives in the warehouse roof!) We have played our part in this and helped create a Nature Protected Area across 27 farms and farm owners. We have also spent a lot of money and time on this project over the last 17 years between leasing a couple big tracts of land (so that they dont get destroyed and poached out) , anti-poaching, contributing towards game guards, boom gates, putting up signs and patrolling (see https://www.facebook.com/mpushini).
We are busy building a new warehouse in Namibia on a 5200 odd acre beautiful' virgin Mountainous lush green farm (yes, lush...Namibia is not all desert!! ) and the same applies to our new location.; Nature First. We avoided cutting any medium to large trees while making our roads and building, and have placed our office windows all facing the area where the animals come to drink and hang around. The neighbours have kindly offered us a couple of Giraffe as a "housewarming present!" (I am not sure how many folks have been lucky enough to be given Giraffe for a housewarming gift before.!) We will certainly run this like a Conservation Project and intend to move a Raptor Centre for Vulture and Birds of Prey Rehabilitation and breeding programs as part of our Conservation efforts, along with our own cultural Mineralogical Museum to display the Natural Minerals and Crystals that folks often forget represent the Geological "Flowers" and formations of Nature. And we have an excellent Paleoanthropology collection of over 11000 stone tools and artifacts, not to mention old 1905 German Copper tunnels in our mountains that still hold beautiful copper minerals such as Dioptase, Chrysocolla and Malachite, Duftite and we have similar Geology to the old Tsumeb Mine, which is in the same Otavi Triangle as us. We have no interest in mining industrially though, as its far too beautiful to ruin! Specimens yes, thousands of tons,
We find it very strange that folks wouldn't want to live with Nature and have abundant and magnificent life around them, but most seem to prefer sterile dead zones. and many would rather destroy it and create man made environments in this strange evolutionary thing called "Civilisation" This seems very illogical and lonely lifestyle, even more so considering that all of the various 100 000 odd religions that have come and gone mostly originate from observing and trying to work out the how and why of what happens with the Natural World and its relationship to them (but they seem to have forgotten this link and seem to mostly like to concentrate on the different cultural and man made parts of their religions (and destroy more nature and often fight instead). You don't have to believe in Nature...its there to observe, be a part of and enjoy until its cut down or ruined. We are exactly part of it, evolved with and because of it, and rely 100% on it after all, weather its the soil for farming, water , air quality, wind, pollination, food or right up the Gallium and rare Earths in your cell phone and PC. that allows you to view this blog..we all use Nature. There is a saying something to the effect, that humans are great at destroying the very Gods that they worship....this meant Nature, as it has taken millions of years to get to its perfect "Godly" point, but was perfect all along! Collecting Minerals, Fossils and Crystals should represent the respect that we feel for our fantastic Earth, Crystals are the most permanent and longest lasting formations of our Earth and there should be an appreciation of the Artworks of Nature.....the fascination and the wanting to learn and understand how Nature Works is central to what Rock Collecting is about after all!
Our warehouse and homes run on solar power. We aim to lessen our environmental footprint while uplifting our partners. Though a small part of our business uses crystals from large-scale Copper, Manganese, and Cobalt mines in Southern and Central Africa, most rocks come from small deposits with minimal impact. From industrial sites, we rescue a tiny fraction of crystals, otherwise crushed for tech, cars, and TVs, saving nature’s gems from becoming hubcaps or screens! Most folks who ask this specific question about ethics, often forget that it is our cell phones, cars, plumbing fittings and structures that are the cause of mining and the demand increases as populations (and their expectations) increase. There is always a balance to be upheld between usage and abusage and surprisingly, many mines contribute significantly to Nature Conservation in their regions...and we are always the first to encourage this if it helps to change the thoughtless destruction that often comes with mining. On the inverse of this, there are many folks who ask the ethics question that haven't contemplated their own usage or balancing out of their own "give and take" with Nature. (growing indigenous and endemic plants in your own garden is a great start) Of course, most of you reading this are already converted or orientated this way and its the folks that have no interest or knowledge, or actively don't give a damn from not seeing the importance in this balance that are usually the problem.
Most of our mining is artisanal and done by hand with small groups we support, avoiding machinery & noise as much as possible. Tree cutting is rare and we have been known to implement large fines ( $2,000 per Baobab felled at Messina Copper Mines for example). Small-scale efforts leave only 10-50 foot holes, doubling as wildlife water sources. Socially, Toprock supports approximately over 800 miners in remote African and Malagasy areas, offering income locally, where cities lure many of these that would other be urban migrants with little alternatives. Collin from Malawi, for instance, brings Smokey Quartz worth thousands, helps us build, then buys goods to take back to Malawi. Once stuck in Johannesburg construction, he now enjoys the majority of his time at home, owns a house and truck, and usually thrives. Our 27-year Congolese partners bring $5,000-$10,000 hauls, building an internet café and taxi service. Patrick, one of our suppliers sons, runs a rare crystal shop in Lusaka, Zambia, succeeding brilliantly. We know most of these miners and lapidary folks well and we like them and respect them, most have become friends after years together. We try our best to treat them fairly, navigating bad roads, blackouts, and corrupt officials who demand bribes despite no crystal taxes. Where laws fail, we sometimes enforce our own: no tree cutting, littering, or land harm. I push for planting and sustainability, often preaching on environmental care and population balance. In Madagascar, since the 1990s, I’ve worked with locals in French and Malagasy. Instead of one big factory, our small Antananarivo base supports hundreds of family lapidaries. Paying per kilogram doubles their earnings, fueling our growth as we sell their work. I could pay less, but we normally choose lasting partnerships over quick profits.
Sorry for the lengthy read, I got carried away! I hope this shows our passion for conservation.
All the best,
Nick
5 comments
I hope to meet you some day Nick. This is a really great article. Can a US citizen visit Top Rock and get a tour? What is the closest airport and what kind of transportation is safe? I would love to come and see Top Rock if I could afford it! <3
Ek get mooi klpie flourish
Hello Nick,
Thank you for being open and sharing these insights. I was wondering, can you do an update what has and hasn’t changed since writing this article?
Thank you,
Ilse
This is exactly why I support toprocks only.
Thank you for all your hard work and effort to protect our beautiful land we call home – it doesn’t go unnoticed.
You guys rock! 😆🥰
Nicole,
I am extremely glad to have found this post and to read the incredible lengths that you go to help protect the environment and everyone involved in your operations! Thank you for making the world a better place and for supporting the mineral community in such an invaluable way.