CBC Newfoundland Morning

Some mountain bikers in Western Newfoundland don't want to keep their trails all to themselves. In fact, the Bay St. George Mountain Bike Club is inviting people to come walk on their bike trails. The Club is dealing with damage from all-terrain vehicles, and it's hoping more people on the trails will help discourage ATV use. Nigel Pike is with the Club.

The Long's Braya is a small, endangered plant, native to a few areas along the Northern Peninsula. Some students from Canon Richards Memorial Academy in Flower's Cove helped researchers recently to protect the plant species. The researchers were from a non-profit group called Intervale. Together, they removed Long's Braya plants from Sandy Cove beach and planted them in a safer location nearby. The CBC's Sanuda Ranawake spoke with some students and their teacher.

For those of us who drive, getting to the bank or the doctor's office isn't a big deal. But with our aging population, more people are giving up their licences for medical reasons. In rural areas of the province, that leaves seniors with few options for transportation. Susan Walsh is the provincial senior's advocate.

NL's education department is developing a policy on the use of artificial intelligence in schools. The department told CBC in an emailed statement that the focus is on building A-I literacy and protecting user safety. CBC asked for an interview to find out more, but the department declined to make anyone available to be interviewed. So,...the CBC's Alex Kennedy went elsewhere. Rahul Kumar is a member of the faculty of education at Brock University. He studies the impact generative A-I is having on education.

The idea of a marine conservation area on Newfoundland's south coast is getting a lot of discussion at the moment. Parks Canada is asking people to take part in an online survey about the concept. Burgeo resident Barbara Barter has been lobbying for years to conserve and protect her part of the coast. She supports the area's designation as the South Coast Fjords National Marine Conservation Area. Barter believes recognition from Parks Canada could boost tourism while protecting the marine ecosystem. The CBC's Colleen Connors met up with Barbara Barter on the wharf in Burgeo.

Tuesday, September 24 marks the second anniversary of post-tropical storm Fiona's landfall on the southwest coast of Newfoundland. The storm caused devastation and heartbreak for residents there. Mark Lomond lost his family's fishing stage, and five houses owned by members of his family were destroyed. Lomond eventually salvaged a keepsake from the storm that will be part of an exhibit in New York on Tuesday. The exhibit is being held to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly and High-Level Week, which brings together world leaders to address global challenges. Bernice spoke with Lomond and with Conor Curtis of the Sierra Club, which put the exhibit together.

Two artists in Port aux Basques are giving back to their hometown, partly inspired by post-tropical storm Fiona. Tuesday, Sept. 24 is the second anniversary of Fiona's landfall on the southwest coast. It claimed the life of one woman and destroyed houses and wharves that had existed for generations. This past summer, to brighten things up, Becca Leriche and James Coffin teamed up to paint a mural of a 125-foot giant squid.on a concrete wall in the town. Leriche and Coffin spoke with the CBC's Gavin Simms about art, healing, mental health and addiction... and community.

If you've never imagined making bustiers out of traditional Newfoundland basket weaving, you've never seen Richard Brophy's work. The Newfoundland-born designer and textile artist is getting ready to make a big splash at Montreal's Fashion Week, starting Saturday. Brophy and his partner, M-J Leblanc, are presenting "Engulfed;" a collection of pieces inspired by traditional crafts from this province. The two designers spoke with CBC's Leigh Anne Power.

The City of Corner Brook recently added new streets to the list of those on which all-terrain vehicles are permitted. Some of the added streets are now in effect, while others will go into effect in May of 2025. The machines were first allowed on a designated route in the city in 2019. We spoke with Craig Borden, co-owner of Rugged Edge, which offers guided ATV tours. There have also been concerns for safety when it comes to the addition of more streets accessible to ATVs, and not everyone is in support. We spoke with Pamela Gill, a city councillor and the only member of Corner Brook city council to vote against the new routes.

A hundred years ago, William Coaker was one of the most well-known people in Newfoundland. He founded the Fishermen's Protective Union, as well as the town of Port Union. He sat in the legislature in St. John's, and he started a farm on Coaker's Island in Notre Dame Bay. Now the family that owns Coaker's Island...or most of it, anyway...is selling it for two-point-three million dollars.Carol Bryant is one of the owners, and she spoke with CBC's Leigh Anne Power.