Penn Today Q&A with Chief Arborist Peter Fixler The lead arborist at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens discusses his interest in tree work, how trees benefit the planet, the tallest tree he has climbed, current research at Morris, and its impact in America and beyond. Image Paul W. Meyer Chief Arborist Peter Fixler    The late actor John Candy once remarked that actors don’t get paid to act, they get paid to sit around and wait, and act for free because of their love of the craft. The same applies to Peter Fixler and his work as lead arborist at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens. He says he gets paid to do administrative and management work and climbs the trees for free. “I’m definitely the happiest when I’m climbing trees,” he says. “The physicality and the mental challenge of it is what I love.” Hired by the Morris in 2020, Fixler aids in nurturing and maintaining the vast and diverse collection of more than 4,170 trees on the Morris’s property in Chestnut Hill. He says his No. 1 priority as an arborist is to make sure the trees are healthy and hazard-free. “Most people don’t realize how much goes into keeping trees healthy and safe,” says Fixler. “We’re always assessing things like deadwood or root health—small issues that, if left unchecked, could eventually pose problems.” Penn Today visited the Morris, the official arboretum of Pennsylvania, to chat with Fixler about his interest in tree work, how trees benefit the planet, the tallest tree he has climbed, current research at the Morris, and its impact in the region and beyond.   How did you become interested in tree work? I graduated with a degree in biology and an interest in microbiology. I did work in some labs in my younger days and kind of went in and out of tree work. Eventually, I committed to it because I saw the potential to make a living. I think trees are the greatest medium because no other living organism grows larger or lives longer than a tree. I thought that was really cool. Besides water and …