It started as a seed, years ago - and grew until it could no longer be ignored.
The concept of vaulting land - locking it away so it couldn’t be destroyed, logged, cleared for livestock, or commercialised - isn’t new. But the more we explored the wilderness, the more we realised: stunning wild forests are still at risk, and the clock is ticking.
There are incredible organizations out there fighting for nature, and the more we donated to them through our ‘1% for the Planet’ efforts, the more we saw: there can never be enough done at the grassroots level.
The boots-on-the-ground level.
The hustle-together-and-buy-the-property level.
The “for earth’s sake, can we figure this shit out before it’s too late?” level.
What if we didn’t wait?
What if we just activated something?
Could a couple of scrappy creatives actually make a difference?
That’s why Wild Vaults was born - to protect land and its inhabitants from deforestation and destruction. To re-wild places to their natural glory. To allow humans to connect with the sacredness of nature with gratitude, awe, and spirit.
Nature is part of us, and we are part of nature - and it must be protected at all costs.
We’re starting small.
Staying grassroots.
Boot-strapped in the office and in the wild.
The humans involved.
James Looker
Founder & Director, Wild Vaults Foundation
Co-Founder & Director, Magic of I.
Creator, Wilde Mountain Ranch, Tas
Multi-disciplinary Artist
Where do I start? Half Australian (by birth), half Canadian (by choice), adventurer, nature-loving creative. I have always walked trail built my own path through life, never quite fitting into the conventional world, dabbling in business and entrepreneurial endeavours before I even turned 18. University educated for nine weeks, before joining the roadshow of Australian musician Xavier Rudd as his right-hand man, technician, and sidekick for nine years - touring the world, occasionally laying down a mean banjo on stage, and contributing to environmental activism performances and events along the way.
Later, I spent many years as an international award-winning wedding and commercial photographer, capturing the union of love and nature around the world. Business and creativity eventually called louder, and I found my art not just in images, but in the magic of creating value and beauty in the world.
Since 2018, I’ve built and co-run Magic of I., a boutique esoteric stationery brand, alongside my life partner Kerry Kershaw. Today I continue to serve as Director, while no longer involved heavily in the day-to-day.
Am I a walking contradiction? A hypocrite?
Maybe. I create paper goods for a living and love working with Tasmanian hardwoods. But I don’t believe the answers are black and white. I believe in balance and harmony.
Every day, I ask myself: Can I make the best choices possible for both art and the planet, regardless of the financial outcome?
We are all shareholders of Planet Earth. And although our impact may seem small, the collective weight of our choices matters.
Magic of I. uses only FSC-certified sustainable paper and processes, with a capped production model and an ‘anti-infinite-scale’ business philosophy. My woodworking uses reclaimed, “destined-for-firewood” trees or plantation-grown native timbers - and I use every last inch.
I am heartbroken by old-growth logging, and by the destruction of such incredibly diverse forests in my backyard (Tasmania) and across the world.
After all I am a tree-lover - in all the forms of the tree: living, timber, paper, fire, and I spend my life surrounded by trees in my home, my work, my art, my inspiration and books.
It is our responsibility to look after what looks after us - the source of our shelter, our stories, and our air. I hope that my work here is reflected on in 100 years and we can extend the life of these forests for future generations.
- James
Kerry Kershaw
Creative Director Wild Vaults Foundation
Co-Founder & Creative Director Magic of I.
Co-Creator Wilde Mountain Ranch, Tas
Painter, Astrologer, Artist
Kerry is an artist, designer, and the founder of Magic of I., a brand recognised for its meticulously crafted astrological tools that bridge cosmic intelligence with grounded practicality. With over 20 years of experience across creative fields, her work spans design, illustration, painting, and writing. She explores themes of change, mycology, herbalism, ecology, myth, and the unseen forces that shape our inner and outer worlds. Guided by a deep reverence for nature, cycles of time, and the stars, Kerry’s creative practice serves as both compass and offering, rooted in the belief that everything is interconnected.
Based in Tasmania, Kerry shares her life and creative vision with her partner James, and supports Wild Vaults’ broader vision of long-term land protection and ecological reverence. She recently participated in a Bob Brown Foundation artist residency, deepening her ongoing dialogue between art and ecology. Together they are devoted to projects that honour the Earth and safeguard its wild places for future generations. Whether through art, ritual, or the written word, Kerry’s work continues to offer pathways back to presence, purpose, and a sense of belonging within the living world.
Traditional Owners
We pay respect to the Traditional Owners of Iutruwita (Tasmania), the Tasmanian Aboriginal people, in which we have founded this organisation and acknowledge their continued survival and connection with their land, sea and sky Country that spans millennia.
We acknowledge the many Nations of Tasmanian Aboriginal people, past and present, as the traditional and ongoing owners of their respective countries within lutruwita and the islands.
We pay respect to those who have passed and acknowledge today’s Aboriginal people who are the real custodians of this land.
We acknowledge that all land, sea, and sky Country holds cultural values that provide strong and continuing significance to the Tasmanian Aboriginal people. We acknowledge that Tasmanian Aboriginal people are part of a continuous culture that holds traditional knowledge about the ecosystems we all depend on. The landscapes of lutruwita have been shaped by Aboriginal management of plants, animals, and water (particularly using fire).
We can’t wait to share ongoing our love for the native wilderness, and to welcome involvement, input and all the wisdom we will learn together.
This is just the beginning.
Other Contributors
Diane Looker
Alice Barker
Sara Rickards
Carl Hansen