Seaweed and Storytelling

April 2025

                      Courtesy of lazypointfarms.org

Moore Family Charitable Foundation

This Earth Day, Believe in Seaweed!

Lazy Point Farms, a project by the Moore Family Charitable Foundation, is making waves in the aquaculture community. Since 2020, Executive Director Wendy Moore’s work to support and expand the seaweed industry in New York State has benefited local communities while fostering sustainable and innovative uses for seaweed to bolster the environment. It can be used, for example, to make both food and packaging that’s less harmful to the planet than plastic.

Through a diverse range of programs, Lazy Point Farms connects growers, suppliers, small businesses and educators to build the infrastructure for New York’s seaweed industry. By bridging the gaps in communication, knowledge and resources, Lazy Point Farms expands the accessibility of seaweed. Anyone and everyone who is interested can get involved – whether it’s by becoming a grower, buying local seaweed or volunteering. As we celebrate Earth Day this month, Momentum is proud to partner with the Moore Family Charitable Foundation to build a more sustainable future for our beautiful planet.

Storytelling

     Credit: Tara Winstead

Storytelling is part of what makes us human; it is one of the first things we did with language. Many thousands of years later, we are still telling stories — and we have a more thorough understanding than ever of why we do.

We tell stories for many reasons, but one is that it is an efficient way to transfer facts and concepts from one brain to other brains. The Harvard Business Review, for example, found that when the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation created a way for employees to tell narratives (with an editor’s support), these stories “dramatically increased employees’ ability to absorb information.” Lists, charts and data are great, but nothing puts facts in context and makes them relatable like a well-told story.

Another study, from Slovakia, called storytelling “the oldest knowledge transfer method” and said it retains significant advantages over other ways to present information in a way that people will retain. It found that students who were taught with storytelling retained what they learned at a far better rate than those taught with PowerPoint presentations.

If you want to give someone data, send a spreadsheet. If you want them to understand, tell them a story.

Ologies Podcast

Account Supervisor Stephanie Gentile can’t get enough of the Ologies. She explains:

The Ologies podcast is a deep dive into a variety of topics, from anthropology to zoology and everything in between. Each episode features a guest expert who shares their knowledge in a fun and approachable way. What I love about it is how it opens the door to subjects I would never have considered exploring, offering conversations that spark curiosity and broaden my understanding of the world.

My favorite episode is on primatology, where host Alie Ward speaks with Kate Gilmore, professional primatologist and lead keeper of the great apes and Old World monkeys at the Los Angeles Zoo about the habits, lifestyle and society of apes.

Adapt to Reality

Media Strategist Cordelia Gilligan notes that the media landscape is much different than it was just a few years ago, so communications professionals must adapt — and help journalism adapt:

“We can help reputable journalists break into new formats. Pitch relevant desksides to a recently-launched newsletter at a legacy outlet or a staff reporter who makes breaking news Reels. Strengthening independent journalism in emerging formats helps counter the rise of pay-to-play practices disguised as news.”

Cordelia explains more here on our blog.