Windsor Overview
Windsor is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, in the Western part of the state. They have a population of 821 people and an area of 35 square miles. Climate hazards present in Windsor include severe winter storms, inland flooding, extreme temperatures, and drought.
Windsor's MVP 2.0 Core Team
| Priorities | Potential Actions | |
|---|---|---|
| Priority 1: Culvert and bridge to mitigate inland flooding and road damage | 
| Potential Actions: To be determined |
| Priority 2: Dirt/Gravel Road Maintenance | 
| Potential Actions: To be determined |
| Priority 3: Uncapped/Naturally-capped Landfill | 
| Potential Actions: To be determined |
| Priority 4: Fire and EMT Shortages | 
| Potential Actions: To be determined |
| Priority 5: Community Events for Youth | 
| Potential Actions: To be determined |
| Priority 6: Invasive Species/loss of native species (plants and insects) | 
| Potential Actions: To be determined |
| Priority 7: General medical health access | 
| Potential Actions: To be determined |
| Priority 8: Food desert | 
| Potential Actions: To be determined |
Windsor's MVP 2.0 Seed Project: Resilient Windsor Educational Forest
Windsor received funding to implement a Seed Project that addresses one or more of their climate resilience priorities.
Windsor will be developing a 100 acre educational forest that will be utilized for research and to education students and the public on the impacts of climate change. This project includes the establishment of an educational center for students, as well as a place for organizations and academic programs to collect test and collect data. The Education Forest, will serve as a “living laboratory” to identify strategies for defense against fire, as well as study topics related to conservation, ecosystem services, carbon mitigation and more. The project will also include restoration of the forest, removing litter and debris from the site.
The activities of this project include:
- Establish a team of stakeholders to outline goals and responsibilities.
- Remove debris from site.
- Create a Forestry Stewardship Plan with DCR
- Identify area to build education center and parking.
- Build education center and trail system.
- Design initial program with partners.
- Reach out to educational institutions to establish programs and research projects.
Windsor's Action Grant Projects
The MVP Action Grant provides funding to communities that want to take important steps to prepare for climate change, such as dealing with extreme weather, flooding, rising sea levels, and extreme heat.
River Road Site 1 Culvert (FY21)
This Action Grant enabled the Town to completely reconstruct an old, undersized, and failing culvert. The is part of the Towns process of upgrading a stretch of River Road that passes through the Windsor State Forest parallel to a branch of the Wild and Scenic Westfield River. The road itself is a major connector between Route 9 and Route 116.