Join ethnomycologist and psychedelic researcher Darren Le Baron for an intimate and interactive evening exploring his latest journeys across Namibia, South Africa, Egypt and Gabon, and the people, places and living traditions encountered along the way.

Drawing from recent field research and firsthand experiences, Darren will share stories and reflections from time spent learning alongside Indigenous communities and knowledge keepers— from the landscapes and traditions of Southern Africa to the ancient temples of Egypt and the forests of Gabon. Through encounters with Khoisan, Zulu, Basotho, Himba, Babongo and Bwiti traditions, the evening explores different ways of understanding our relationship with land, plants, fungi, ancestors, community and the unseen world.

Walking with the Ancestors asks what ancient and living knowledge systems can teach us about some of the challenges we face today. Darren will weave together ancestral wisdom, ethnomycology, ecology, ritual, food cultivation and community resilience, while reflecting on what it means to enter Indigenous spaces as a guest, researcher and student.

Moving between ancient sites and living communities, the conversation will explore themes of ancestor communication, altered states of consciousness, initiation, indigenous ecological knowledge, sacred plants and fungi, land stewardship and cultural preservation—while considering how these traditions continue to evolve rather than simply belonging to the past.

More than a conventional presentation, this is an invitation to exchange ideas and ask questions. Together, we’ll explore what it might mean to walk with the ancestors—not simply by looking backwards, but by considering how ancestral knowledge can help us imagine and cultivate more connected, resilient and regenerative futures.