If you enjoy a good story, we’d love to tell you ours
Our Story
After gaining experience working for some of the industry’s biggest hitters in New Zealand and abroad, Greg set about launching his own consultancy. He wasn’t just keen on getting out in his gumboots more often - but was convinced there was a way to deliver better ‘on the ground’ solutions, without compromising on the quality of science involved.
Instream was founded in 2014, and quickly gained recognition for delivering highly technical advice clearly and simply. Today our work ranges from fieldwork in small rural streams to regional infrastructure planning and expert evidence at hearings. We’ve now spent a decade improving outcomes for the environment - and we’re passionate about continuing this work.
Our Team
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Director and Principal Scientist (BSc, PGDipSci, PhD)
Greg has over 20 years of experience in freshwater ecology consulting and environmental research and is a certified Resource Management Act hearing commissioner. He ‘cut his teeth’ as a technician at NIWA in Hamilton, before honing his skills at respected companies here in Christchurch and further afield in British Columbia, Canada.
These days, his work week is spent looking after the Instream team and their clients, managing projects, providing technical advice and serving as an expert witness. A West Coaster at heart, he’s never far from the outdoors, spending his spare time spearfishing, surfing or dominating the slopes by foot, bike or ski.
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Principal Scientist (BSc, PGDipSci , MSc)
Laura is Instream’s newest recruit - but with more than 15 years experience under her belt, she’s far from ‘green’. Similarly to Greg, she started out at NIWA, before a stint overseas working on large infrastructure projects in Alberta, Canada.
After returning home to Christchurch, she led an ecology team for a prominent environmental consultancy for 5 years, before joining Instream as Principal Scientist. On the weekend she’s likely to be found outdoors, with her son and dog - or kicking things up a notch, snowboarding, hiking or paddleboarding.
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Scientist (BSc, MSc)
Clinton is a small-town Cantabrian who is most ‘at home’ in the great outdoors. After completing a data-based thesis at UC to gain his Master’s degree, he dove headfirst into freshwater ecology and now has over 5 years of professional experience.
Clinton has been part of the Instream team since 2020 and spends a typical work week collecting, analysing, and reporting on environmental data from waterways. His out-of-office hours are spent in his garden or on a football pitch … or - weather permitting- surfing or sailing.
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Scientist (BSc, PGDipSci, MSc)
Though he hails from Rochester, New York, Derek is not your typical city slicker. Evidently most comfortable when in the water, his varied career includes time spent as a dive master and fisheries observer. Intent on using his skills for the good of the environment, he returned to study and gained a Master's degree from UC.
In 2022, Derek joined the Instream team, which he describes as ‘small but mighty’. When he’s not out ‘in the field’, he’s still outdoors (much like the rest of the team) mountain biking, kayaking … or chasing after his young daughter.
Our Values + Mission
Our vision is simple - and we’ve summed it up in one statement: "A healthy natural environment". In our view, the best way to achieve this vision is to go about our daily work with integrity and pragmatism… since it’s not just a matter of knowing the science, but of applying it to generate practical solutions.
Of course, there’s no point in having a vision if it’s just a fluffy concept we reflect on once in a while! So we’re on a real-life mission: “Brokering 1000 deals for the environment". We’re measuring our impact and counting every ‘win’ whether big or small - watch this space for a progress report.