HOUSTON -- Even though many high school students are spending their summer vacation hanging out with friends, a group known as the Green Team is spending several weeks improving the environment, KPRC Local 2 reported Monday.

Thirty students from Houston-area high schools are taking part in a six-week summer conservation program.

They are getting dirty and braving the Houston heat to make a positive impact on the environment.

Steven Hernandez, a four-year veteran of the Green Team, has spent hours making lasting improvements at local parks.

"It's amazing. Every time I come here, I see that our old work is still up and running. We may need maintenance here and there, but it's still there," he said.

The Green Team is the result of a partnership between the Student Conservation Association and ExxonMobil.

Students receive a monetary stipend for all their hard work, but they also gain experience in environmental education and community service.

"It really is a good conservation project. They enjoy it. They get to work together. It's good for the community and it's good for the kids as well," said Jim Green, an ExxonMobil spokesman.

This time around, the students are focused on the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center.

For six weeks, students will be involved in various projects including building a boardwalk plank-by-plank.

"I love to see them gain the skills and knowledge to appreciate all of this and improve it for everyone else. They take this with them," teacher Kate Klingensmith said.

Besides building a boardwalk to make the arboretum more accessible to visitors, students are also clearing a path for a new road and removing an invasive plant.

"I really just want to get out and help," said Maggie Hernandez, a Green Team member.

"It makes me feel great as a person. I'm glad that I'm making a change here and that the change is actually affecting our surrounding areas around here," Hernandez said.

For more information on the Student Conservation Association, visit www.thesca.org.