It's been an eventful year in the Bay Area. There were big protests, incredible views, intriguing wildlife, a World Series title, environmental disasters and many touching moments in the diverse communities that call this place home. Here are some of our favorite images from 2012...
March saw a fair amount of rain. Berkeley’s creeks ran high and the early spring skyscapes were often beautiful to behold. (Joe Parks/Berkeleyside)
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Feb. 7 upheld Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling that invalidated Proposition 8, California's same-sex marriage ban. The federal appeals court declared the ban to be unconstitutional, paving the way for a U.S. Supreme Court showdown on the voter-approved law. (Don Clyde/KQED)
In April, a Great Horned Owl made its nest in the crotch of a Eucalyptus tree on Berkeley’s Claremont Canyon fire trail. The arrival of a chick was a source of fascination for many bird-loving hikers and photographers. (Lee Aurich/Berkeleyside)
Protesters turned out in force on May Day in the Bay Area. The day began with protests at ferry terminals throughout the Bay as part of a labor action by workers in a dispute over health care. A planned protest aimed at shutting down the Golden Gate Bridge was called off. In Oakland, 3-5,000 protesters skirmished with police, who used tear gas. In San Francisco, protesters marched and took over a building at 888 Turk. (Don Clyde/KQED)
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts presented Occupy Bay Area, an exhibition of "visual culture" from Occupy encampments around the Bay Area. Though the show made perfect sense to artists and other cultural producers, it was considered a bold move to some who questioned whether the exhibition created a kind of "instant history." (Artwork by Eric Drooker; courtesy of the artist and YBCA)