During this webinar, Dr. Larry Stevens will clarify the definition of spring ecosystems and their emergence, distribution, abundance, and structure. He will discuss the past century of effort to classify springs, and present a simple geomorphological solution to that challenge. He will describe and illustrate their outstanding biological diversity and socio-cultural attributes, including their high level of individuality and complex roles as keystone ecosystems and cultural and economic focal points. He will challenge the audience to consider why, with all of their importance, springs have received so little attention from policy makers and the scientific community. He will conclude with a discussion of a research and conservation path for sustainably managing these remarkably diverse and important, but underappreciated ecosystems.