All of this is a long preface to this item from the McKinney Courier-Gazette Star, which reports that students from Townview High School, Kimball, South Oak Cliff and other Dallas inner-city schools are spending the summer up at the Heard learning about nature preservation and reclaimation, which beats a few weeks on the couch in front of the TV, says one student (and all their parents, most likely). This marks the first time since its founding in 1957 that the national non-profit Student Conservation Association has done any work in Dallas schools, and the kid'll spend some six weeks working on the trails and in the woods; sounds like fun, except for the heat and bugs. But there's a substantial bonus: The story says the kids get $1,000 for their efforts, which means it pays better than this gig and you get to spend all day outside in the wild. Trade? --Robert Wilonsky