Sibley Nature Center

08/07/2026

Richard A. Acosta
July - September Gallery
Richard A. Acosta is a West Texas photographer whose work explores the quiet strength, open space, and changing light of the desert landscape. Based in the Permian Basin, Acosta photographs the places where land, sky, memory, and industry meet.
This body of work brings together night skies, canyon walls, desert blooms, cottonwoods, yucca, oilfield silhouettes, and the warm edge of sunset. The images move between stillness and motion, from star trails stretching over illuminated tipis to the shadow of an oil derrick falling across asphalt. In each photograph, Acosta looks for the small moments that reveal the character of the region: a bluebonnet reaching toward open sky, a canyon glowing at first light, a lone tree holding the last sun, or the Milky Way rising above the land.
His work is rooted in observation and patience. Whether photographing deep night, harsh daylight, or the brief color shift between day and dark, Acosta uses the camera to study how West Texas holds beauty in plain sight. These photographs reflect a personal connection to place and a desire to show the landscape not as empty, but as layered, alive, and full of presence.
Acosta is a photographer, educator, and working visual storyteller. His photography includes landscape, night sky, documentary, commercial, and fine art work throughout Texas and the Southwest.

08/07/2026

We are just one week away from our Wellness Walk event!
August 13
9:30 -10:30
Join us on August 13 for a Hike with Homeless Pets from Grand Companions!

Wellness starts with community! We’re excited to be part of the 12th Annual Wellness Tour happening August 8–14! Visit MidlandWellnessTour.com for event details and more information.

08/06/2026

Summer Camp
Thank you!
Thank you to all of our parents and campers!
Special thanks to our Sponsor, Diamondback Energy!
We had four camps this Summer with a great turn out,
learned a lot, and a ton of fun!

08/05/2026

Naturalist Journal
by Michael Nickell
Dove vs. Dove
There is strong direct ecological competition between White-winged Doves (Zenaida asiatica) and Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura), but the competition is not balanced. In the Midland-Odessa area on the southern extension of the Llano Estacado, the competition between the two species is arguably at its greatest.

As would be expected, the strongest interaction between the two species is over food. Both species are ground-feeding granivores relying heavily on seeds and agricultural grains. Competition is especially keen in urban and agricultural zones where food is often concentrated. White-winged doves form large, aggressive flocks. They will dominate bird feeders and grain-rich areas. Mourning doves, however, forage in pairs or small groups, easily displaced by white-winged doves.
Advantage: White -winged Dove.

Mourning doves are among the most widespread and well-established bird species in North America thriving in open fields, farmland, and suburbs. Historically, white-winged doves are birds of the arid Southwest where summers are hot and winters are generally mild, although their range is expanding north and east into cities, parks, and irrigated agricultural fields.
Advantage: Mourning Dove

Both species of dove construct flimsy nests of sticks in trees and shrubs like mesquite, elm, pecan, and cottonwood, and sometimes in human-made structures. White-wings generally nest higher and in clusters; mourning doves, however, build their nests lower and dispersed. So, there is greater flexibility in the nest placement of mourning doves.
Advantage: Slightly in favor of Mourning Dove.

White-winged doves are larger, more aggressive and more vocal than mourning doves. So, they are more likely to bully and drive the more passive mourning doves away.
Advantage: White-winged Dove

Competition between the two species exists and it is the most intense where both are concentrated at sources of food and water. White-winged doves are more dominant locally, but because of their flexibility, mourning doves remain more abundant in the larger picture.
Advantage: Mourning Dove

Heavy competition is localized and not widespread. In general, mourning doves thrive in short-grass prairies, grain fields of milo and wheat, rural edges, and with occasional windbreaks. They are more adaptable with their habitat preferences, and so, their overall population is greater. White-winged doves show preference for urban and suburban areas, mesquite brushland, and warmer winters. The rapid urbanization of the southern Llano Estacado favors the white-winged dove.

08/03/2026

🌿 Please join us in welcoming Denise Moore to Sibley Nature Center as our new Director of Garden and Landscape Stewardship!

Denise brings extensive experience in landscape architecture, urban forestry, and horticulture, along with a passion for environmental education and connecting people with nature. Her background includes leadership roles with the Cities of Plano, Allen, and Phoenix, as well as professional certifications as an Arborist and memberships in leading landscape and forestry organizations.

We are excited to have Denise join our team and help further Sibley Nature Center's mission of inspiring appreciation and stewardship of the natural world through education, conservation, and community engagement.

Welcome to Sibley, Denise! 🌱

07/31/2026

07/30/2026

August 6
9:30 AM-10:30 AM
Join us in the fun!
If you would like to hike with a homeless pet or maybe give one the freedom of a ‘furrever’ home, please come and see the benefits of this exciting partnership!
No need to sign-up ahead of time, just show up!

07/29/2026

Come out and play with us, August 13
9:30-10:30

07/28/2026

I just wanted to send a special thank you to Ovintiv for sponsoring this amazing event for teachers and our partners! Nature of a Classroom was a huge success.
Also, thank you to all the teachers who came out for an awesome day, even though it's still your Summer!!!
Petroleum MuseumMuseum of the Southwest - Midland, Texas Midland Community Theatre Ellen Noel Art Museum Bush Family Home State Historic Site

07/22/2026

Join us next Tuesday evening
July 28 for the Artist Reception celebrating Richard A. Acosta.
6PM - 7:30PM

Richard A. Acosta is a West Texas photographer whose work explores the quiet strength, open space, and changing light of the desert landscape. Based in the Permian Basin, Acosta photographs the places where land, sky, memory, and industry meet.

This body of work brings together night skies, canyon walls, desert blooms, cottonwoods, yucca, oilfield silhouettes, and the warm edge of sunset. The images move between stillness and motion, from star trails stretching over illuminated tipis to the shadow of an oil derrick falling across asphalt. In each photograph, Acosta looks for the small moments that reveal the character of the region: a bluebonnet reaching toward open sky, a canyon glowing at first light, a lone tree holding the last sun, or the Milky Way rising above the land.

His work is rooted in observation and patience. Whether photographing deep night, harsh daylight, or the brief color shift between day and dark, Acosta uses the camera to study how West Texas holds beauty in plain sight. These photographs reflect a personal connection to place and a desire to show the landscape not as empty, but as layered, alive, and full of presence.

Acosta is a photographer, educator, and working visual storyteller. His photography includes landscape, night sky, documentary, commercial, and fine artwork throughout Texas and the Southwest.

His work will be here in the Sibley Gallery July - September