Traces of Hurricane Fabian's wrath are still visible all over the South Shore, with Church Bay remaining one of the biggest environmental challenges.

Bright red warning signs alert beach-goers to stay away after the asphalt ramp, the main entrance to the beach, was ripped apart by Fabian's high winds. Park Superintendent Martin Brown said the department was waiting for Ministry of Works and Engineering staff to come up with a new design before repair work can begin at the site.

"There's no temporary solution for this beach, and accessing this path is not safe as the rock is very soft in this area ? it's a blend of soft stone and compacted sand," said Mr. Brown.

Government is due to release a blueprint of the designs for the beach by the end of 2004.

"The solution requires such an engineering solution which is beyond our scope," said Mr. Brown.

Structural engineer Lee Sylvester told the plans are awaiting approval by the Ministry of the Environment. "Our goal is to make it as attractive as possible and aesthetically appealing," she said.

The engineers are examining structural safety issues at the beach and are devising a safer access for beach-goers.

Mr. Brown said the design for the beach should be one that fits with the natural surroundings.

"We need a solution for the beach which works along the lines of timber steps to allow pedestrians access to the beach and is tucked back into the cliff," he said.

Today, the department continues to restore trees and greenery destroyed by Fabian. Workers are continuing with remedial tree pruning to figure out how to stabilise coastal erosion on other South Shore beaches such as Horseshoe Bay, which have lost thousands of pounds of material.

Environmental firm Smith & Warner, which visited the Island in June 2003, is proposing a coastal erosion study of the after-effects of the hurricane. The study could last up to four years and aims to minimise erosion on the coast, an area where a significant number of homes, hotels, and restaurants are constructed. The Botanical Gardens, the centre of Park Department operations, was also damaged in the hurricane, with the roofs of display buildings lifted off in Fabian's winds. Felled trees and widespread destruction in the area also made it impossible to hold the annual Agricultural Exhibition this year.

Plant pests such as casuarina and Mexican Pepper were ripped away in Fabian's winds, a blessing in disguise for plant specialists, said Mr. Brown, as it gave Government the opportunity to re-plant endemic species in as much park land as possible.

Hurricane Fabian taught environmentalists to have an even greater respect for Mother Nature.

"After any sort of disaster I'm always encouraged by nature's ability to recover," said Mr. Brown. "It's always encouraging to see the quickness of nature taking over at the same time highlighting the need for us to be more sensitive about how we treat our environment."