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
Saskia Brown
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Saskia completed her master’s at the University of Canterbury in Ōtautahi, Christchurch, where her research explored the impacts of invasion and the potential to restore highly biodiverse spring ecosystems.
Since 2021, she has been actively involved in freshwater research. Saskia joined the Instream team in 2025, contributing to both fieldwork and data reporting. When she is not in the office, you’ll find Saskia walking in the hills, painting, gardening, or cooking with friends.
Greg Burrell
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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.
Duncan Gray
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Originally from northern England, Duncan moved to New Zealand in 2001 and fell in love with its landscapes and rivers.
At Instream, he enjoys the combination of high-calibre work, meaningful outcomes, and a collaborative environment. His role includes providing expert advice, reporting and evidence, and mentoring early-career scientists.
Known for his organised chaos, Duncan is happiest outdoors. When not wrangling data—or his children—you’ll find him in the hills, garden or workshop.
Ben Crichton
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Originally from Ōtautahi, Christchurch, Ben is a freshwater ecologist who splits his time between the field — monitoring fish and collecting environmental data — and the office, where he turns that data into reports and research papers. His PhD focused on migratory galaxiids — or 'whitebait' — and he’s since applied that expertise to habitat restoration and species management projects. An avid outdoorsman, Ben enjoys free-diving, fishing, and exploring New Zealand’s beaches and forests. When it’s time to unwind, you’ll often find him befriending a dog or tinkering with his aquarium.
Faline Drummond
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Faline grew up on a lifestyle block in Hawke’s Bay before heading to Massey University in Auckland for her studies. Her career has spanned both terrestrial and freshwater ecology, with experience ranging from pest and vegetation monitoring to a stint in Canada, where she built instream flow models for at-risk fish species. At Instream, Faline’s work focuses on project design and preparation, data collection, analysis, and reporting. Outside of work, she’s always on the move — trail running, playing hockey, hiking, or travelling. A fan of craft beer, she lives by the “do the mahi, get the treats” philosophy
Tim Green
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Tim was born in Australia and grew up in Christchurch, where his love for the outdoors and freshwater environments took hold. He’s built his career around helping clients and stakeholders understand how activities interact with aquatic ecosystems.
At Instream, Tim’s days are spent writing technical reports, analysing data, managing projects, and getting out in the field for freshwater surveys. He joined the team for the opportunity to work on challenging, high-quality projects and to grow as an ecologist.
Approachable and detail-focused, Tim takes pride in delivering work to a high standard. When he’s not in the office, you’ll find him running, brewing beer, gardening, cooking, or fishing — usually with a story or two to share about his latest hobby.
Derek Gerber
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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.
Gemma Robinson
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Gemma is our administrator - and operational backbone. With a background in accounting, she takes care of the day-to-day finances and keeps projects on track by handling the details in our management systems.
As the only admin in an office full of scientists, she brings energy, order, and plenty of banter. Outside of work, if she’s not chasing after her toddler, you might find her on the netball court, camping, or out on a long walk.
Clinton Webb
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As a Senior Scientist at Instream, Clinton leads and manages projects from proposal through to delivery, working with public and private clients to protect waterways and achieve practical, science-based outcomes. He coordinates field teams, oversees ecological monitoring, and applies data analysis, statistics, and GIS to provide clear, evidence-based advice.
Measured and methodical in his approach, Clinton takes pride in delivering work that is scientifically rigorous and grounded in real-world outcomes. He finds particular satisfaction in seeing projects through to completion, especially when monitoring shows restoration efforts are making a tangible difference.
Outside of work, he enjoys football, hiking with his partner and dog, and vegetable gardening.
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.