The 13th annual Great Backyard Bird Count is being held Feb. 12-15. The national event is free and attracts volunteers in the tens of thousands each year. Volunteers can count birds in their own backyards, at local parks or at wildlife refuges. Checklists from the count help researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society and Bird Studies Canada track the rise and fall of species in geographic areas. More than 93,600 checklists were submitted via the Web in 2009.

Participants can count birds for as little as 15 minutes and then report their sightings to www.birdcount.org. Visit the site for information on participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Free REI clinics

Susan Munroe spent six months working at the McMurdo Station, one of three U.S. research bases in Antarctica. She will share her stories of "ice and magic, colorful auroras and costume parties, adorable penguins and wrinkly dishpan hands, lingering sunsets and gradual memory loss", Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Salt Lake store, 3285 E. 3300 South, in East Millcreek.

Got a new GPS unit for Christmas and still trying to figure it out? Join REI for its popular GPS 101 clinic Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Sandy store, 230 W. 10600 South, to learn the mysteries of the Global Positioning Unit.

Birding trips

Great Salt Lake Audubon is holding the following trips. Contact the trip leader for meeting and car-pooling information.

Jack Clark and Sylvia Gray are leading a trip to the Mountain Dell Recreation Area in Parleys Canyon on Feb. 3 starting at 9 a.m. Chickadees, solitaires, waxwings and brown creepers are all possible sightings. Call Jack (801-255-7989) or Sylvia (801-532-3486) if you plan to attend.

Bruce Thompson is leading a special snowshoe event called "Tracking Utah's Winter Wildlife" Feb. 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. along the Mirror Lake Highway in the Uinta Mountains. The route will go on untrailed snow along uneven woodland, meadow and stream side over one or two miles. No dogs will be allowed and the group size will be limited to 15 with a minimum age of 12. Call Sylvia Gray (801-532-3486) to register.

Wasatch Mountain Club

The Wasatch Mountain Club is offering the following activities for members. Check in with the trip leader before the event. For information on becoming a member, visit www.wasatchmountainclub.org.

Feb. 2 » Snowshoe. Park City, TBA. Vince, 435-649-6805.

Feb. 3 » Backcountry ski. TBA, Alex, 801-971-9245.

Feb. 4 » Snowshoe. Cottonwood Canyons. TBA. Norm, 801-266-3703.

Feb. 4 » Evening climb. Climbing gym. Peter, 801-733-0313.

Feb. 4-8 » Backcountry ski. Alpine yurt ski trip, Sawtooth Mountains. Michael, 801-949-8032.

Feb. 6 » Snowshoe. TBA. Brett, 801-994-1832.

Feb. 6 » Snowshoe. Dog Lake. Chrystel, 801-943-0316.

Feb. 6 » Snowshoe. TBA. Lynette. 801-523-6225.

Feb. 6 » Backcountry ski. Alpine backcountry tour. Will, 801-942-2921.

Feb. 7 » Snowshoe. Silver Fork. Michael, 801-328-4512.

Feb. 7 » Snowshoe. Big Cottonwood Canyon. Knick, 801-891-2669.

Feb. 7 » Snowshoe. Lambs or Neffs Canyon. Eric, 801-671-3153.

Feb. 7 » Backcountry ski. Nordic ski trout, Norway Flats, Uintas. Bob, 801-274-0250.

Compiled by Brett Prettyman. To get your event listed, e-mail the information to brettp@sltrib.com or mail it to Brett Prettyman, The Salt Lake Tribune, 90 S. 400 West, Suite 700, Salt Lake City, UT 84101.