About us
About The Way Back Project – Forest School for All
A volunteer-run nonprofit forest school on Staten Island, founded by a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law who believe every child deserves time, space and permission to play outdoors.
Our story
2020: During the shutdown, we started an outdoor play group on Facebook so families could get outside together.
2022: The play group became The Way Back Project – Forest School for All, following the child-led UK Forest School model.
2026: Families and neighbors funded our nonprofit filing, we joined the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, and we celebrated our nonprofit milestone as The Way Back Project Corp. Today, families come from across Staten Island, Brooklyn and New Jersey.
Our founders
Anne DeMarzo of Grant City and Elizabeth (Liz) DeMarzo of New Dorp are a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law team. Together with a crew of volunteers, they lead sessions, teach bushcraft and tool safety, and carry every tool into the forest and back out again.
Our forest classroom
We meet at William H. Pouch Scout Camp, 1465 Manor Road, a 120-acre camp in the Staten Island Greenbelt and the only Boy Scout camp within New York City limits. Families help steward a small section of the woods, and we follow leave-no-trace practices at every session.
Why “The Way Back”?
Many of us are disconnected by technology, over-indulgence and instant gratification. Through play and a simpler way of being outside, children and adults find their way back to themselves, to each other and to nature, and rediscover skills that have been lost for generations.
Fast facts
The Way Back Project – Forest School for All (legal name The Way Back Project Corp) is a volunteer-run nonprofit forest school on Staten Island, New York, founded by Anne and Elizabeth DeMarzo. It began as an outdoor play group in 2020 and became a forest school in 2022. Sessions are held in all weather, year-round, at William H. Pouch Scout Camp, 1465 Manor Road, Staten Island, NY 10314, in the Staten Island Greenbelt. Programs include Family Forest School for ages 2–12 with a caregiver, the drop-off Modern Bushcrafters Club for ages 7–12, seasonal mini semesters, school field trips and residencies, and play workshops for adults. Sessions start at $20, with sibling discounts and need-based scholarships. Registration is through the Oakline family portal at thewaybackproject.oakline.app.