wide-ranging plans to reshape and enhance one of Bermuda's parks.

The Parks Department has drawn up a management plan to improve Somerset Long Bay Park, sited on what was once Bermuda's largest mangrove swamp -- filled in over the centuries with rubbish.

Over the years it has suffered at the hands of vandals and rubbish dumpers and the Parks department is hoping to put a stop to the problems.

A report says that taxi drivers congregate in the park's car park while waiting for fares sometimes causing congestion and reducing the number of available parking spaces.

Motorcycles and off-road motocross cycles have also damaged the park and pose a threat to children.

Recent moves to seal gaps in surrounding hedges to stop them getting into the area have proved partly successful, but there are still some gaps.

Garbage dumping has also proved to be a problem and parts of the park have been vandalised with graffiti and knives.

Now the Parks Department has set out a plan to improve the park as well as to make it a natural extension to two neighbouring nature reserves.

It intends to move the parking lot to hide the presence of the taxis, improve the entrance, clear invasive plants such as the cow cane and plant more native and endemic species.

Outdoor furniture, benches and picnic tables could also be added in shaded areas for members of the public.

Bill Cook, the Parks Department director, said: "One of the main goals of the management plan is to have the park become an extension of the Audubon Nature Reserve and the Pitman Pond private nature reserve.

"The planting design will create clusters of trees that provide shade and seasonal interest, enhancing the natural wild character of the area.'' Mr. Cook urged people to come to the public meeting on Saturday at the park entrance at 10 a.m.

"It really is a lovely area. We usually do one or two big projects a year and this is a pretty large improvement. We would like to see people at the meeting to discuss the plans.''