The Pinellas County field researchers have begun forming groups of volunteers to help aid the local environmental crisis of the gopher tortoises. The data that is collected by volunteers and biologists is being used to monitor tortoise populations and to oversee ground conditions. As a result, prescribed shrub burning has become the key technique for the elimination of widely shaded areas. When the foliage is removed, the gopher tortoises can comfortably roam the land and build their habitats in an ideal climate.