The Colorado Department of Agriculture will host the Palisade Insectary’s 80th anniversary celebration on Aug. 14, honoring eight decades of dedicated scientific work in biological pest and weed control.

“Conserving Colorado’s natural ecosystem and supporting our farmers is a large task, and thanks to the work of scientists, like the ones at CDA’s Palisade’s Insectary, we are reducing the amount of pest species, invasive weeds and our over-reliance on pesticides. We are helping farmers and ranchers save money and keeping our agricultural economy growing for generations to come,” Gov. Jared Polis said.

To celebrate, Polis proclaimed Aug. 14 as Palisade Insectary Day in recognition of its decades of service to Colorado and the Western United States.

The celebration, which will be from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Palisade Insectary, 750 37 8/10 Road, is open to the public and will offer family-friendly activities, food and music, tours of the insectary facility and opportunities to meet with insectary and CDA staff.

Those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP at ag.colorado.gov/biocontrol.