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Local Cavers Roped in to Tackle Weed Control

Local cavers have put their abseiling skills to use to help with arum lily eradication in the Lake Cave doline.

Janine Carter
6 Nov 2025
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The Capes Foundation Conservation Team has undertaken arum lily control this spring across our sites. Arum lily is an invasive weed that threatens local biodiversity as it competes with native plant species.

The deep doline at Lake Cave is impossible for the team to access without roping in specialist skills, such as those utilised by caving enthusiasts. John Tonai-Morre from Cavers Leeuwin said the club have been involved in spot spraying at the region’s caves in the past and were happy to play their part in managing the weed.

Anything to do with the caves, we like to help. We cave in the area and have the skills useful for this sort of job.

~ John Tonai-Morre

Four people standing at the top of the Lake Cave doline

John Tonai-Morre (Cavers Leeuwin), Obelia Walker (Nature Conservation Margaret River Region), Alysha Johnson (Capes Foundation), Jack Overhill (Western Australian Speleological Group). Image: Janine Carter.


Arum Lily control at Lake Cave has been in place as far back as 1994 with regular spot spraying by the team since 2005. It’s not the only invasive weed with Cape Gooseberry, Blackberry Nightshade and more tackled as part of a comprehensive Weed Management Plan.

Capes Foundation Conservation Manager, Alysha Johnson said that while previous sprays were successful in reducing the weed, arum lily seeds are dispersed by birds and native wildlife, so ongoing management was vital.

It’s not just Lake Cave but our other sites like Mammoth, Jewel and Ngilgi Caves that are also seeing the success of a targeted approach. Forest Adventures in the Ludlow Forest has seen a 90% reduction, which is incredible.

~ Alysha Johnson

Inside the Lake Cave doline, Conservation Manager Alysha talks about the importance of arum lily management with local cavers abseiling to the hard-to-reach places to eliminate the invasive weed. Video: Tim Campbell.


If there's one thing we know about arum lily, it's that without control it will continue to spread, smothering understorey plants and becoming more difficult to manage. It is so worthwhile to get on top of the problem early whilst there are just a few plants and prevent potentially hundreds of seeds from being spread and causing new breakout infestations.

~ Obelia Walker

How can you get involved?

Visit the Nature Conservation Margaret River website to learn more about the Arum Lily Blitz and how you can join.

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