In 1831, Sweden planted 300,000 oak trees for future warships; 144 years later, the Navy didn't need them anymore

• Image Credit: Atlas ObscuraIn the early 19th century, Sweden began an extraordinary project on the island of ‘Visingsö.
• ’ Hundreds of thousands of oak trees were planted to secure timber for naval ships that would be built far in the future.
• Oak was strong, durable and widely valued for wooden shipbuilding, but the trees required generations to reach a useful size.