Local landholder, conservation volunteer and Five Senses Coffee founder Dean Gallagher is helping lead the fight against invasive arum lilies in one of the South West’s most precious landscapes.
Dean and his family live on 50 acres of thriving native forest at Quindalup, rich with old trees, seasonal wildflowers and abundant wildlife, right alongside the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. As part of Nature Conservation Margaret River Region’s Arum Lily Blitz, Dean has been tackling arum lilies on his own property while also volunteering with local conservation groups working to protect nearby bushland and reserves around Yallingup.
“Our property is basically a native forest complete with all the biodiversity that goes with it,” Dean says. “The vegetation is all the same — the only thing that separates private land from the national park are the firebreaks.”
Arum lilies ready to be sprayed
Arum lilies may look harmless, but they spread aggressively through bushland, outcompeting native plants and threatening habitat for wildlife. That’s why local volunteers, landholders and community groups are working together to stop the weed before it takes over. The Yallingup Land Conservation District Committee has also been supporting major control efforts in the area, including fully funding arum lily treatment last year at Duddy Road Reserve — a highly visible infestation site on the way to Smiths Beach.
Yallingup LCDC’s Jen Mitchell said community involvement was making a real difference. “The volunteer effort around Yallingup has been incredible,” she said. “People are stepping up because they care deeply about protecting the natural character and biodiversity of this special place.”
Dean sees the work as part of a bigger responsibility. “I feel I’m more a custodian than an owner,” he says. “This property belongs to future generations, and I feel the weight of responsibility to preserve it for them.”
Dean Gallagher is gearing up to control arum lilies at his property
With a keen eye and steady commitment, Dean spends each season spotting and removing arum lilies as they emerge. And his advice for other landholders? “The greater your efforts to understand what you have and how fragile it all is, the easier it will be to be motivated to protect it,” Dean says. “Get a bird book. Get a wildflower book. Learn something. It will dial up your appreciation.”
Dean’s story is a reminder that conservation starts at home — and that community-led action can create real landscape-scale change. Join the Blitz and help protect our natural places, one plant at a time. Find out more or join the Blitz HERE.