Some Santa Fe College students are hoping to ace their zoology class and make the world a better place for tortoises.

As part of a class project, the first-year students are working with Alachua County to survey Mill Creek Preserve for tortoise burrows.

After the surveying is done, the county will begin to thin out trees in the region -- while avoiding the areas where the turtles live.

Organizers say once the thinning out is complete ( a year-long process ) more light will get to the ground and create a better habitat for the tortoises.