From the garden of a manor on the edge of Rīga to a meadow among the viaducts of a metropolitan highway. In the south of Rīga, between the Jāņa Čakstes gatve and Ziepniekkalna iela viaducts, preserved and protected by the city of Rīga and the builders of the Dienvidu tilts, a witness to the past grows proudly – the Nummurmuiža Oak. It is quite possibly the last herald of the Nummurmuiža landscape that once stood here, and the only living testimony to the former manor estate, which today continues to be transformed into a city transport hub.

Nummurmuiža (German: Nummershof) had been a manor on the outskirts of Rīga since the 18th century. It lay between what is now Ziepniekkalna iela (known until 1938 as Nummurmuižas iela) and the Bišumuiža ditch. The estate, which covered around 80 hectares, was still a centre of active economic activity at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, where the Šlamovs brothers (German: Gebrüdern Schlamowih) developed farming and horticulture. The manor suffered repeatedly from devastating fires – in 1895 a large farm building burned down, and in 1910 the main manor house was destroyed completely.

The manor had a connection with botany: a few walnut trees grew on its grounds. In addition, the seed plants recorded in the meadows and woods of Nummurmuiža in 1870 were included in the botanical catalogue of the Rīga Naturalists' Society. The manor was a venue for public events – in 1889 a hot-air balloon that had risen from Rīga landed nearby, and in 1909 a skiing tour passed through the estate. After the lands of Nummurmuiža were incorporated into the territory of Rīga in 1924, and as the city grew, its former landscape gradually disappeared. Today the only reminder of the manor's history is the stately Nummurmuiža Oak, preserved among the new highway junctions.

Ivars Šmits, founder of the Spēkozols movement, who grew up in this neighbourhood himself and who, with a scout leader's curiosity, took an interest in and researched the history of Nummurmuiža and its surroundings – and who this year also gave the Nummurmuiža Oak its name – says:

“Although the construction of the third and fourth stages of the Dienvidu tilts is considerably changing the landscape and surroundings of the Katlakalns, Bišumuiža and Ziepniekkalns neighbourhoods, it is clear that the city of Rīga and the road builders have taken care to preserve this valuable natural and historical monument, the Nummurmuiža Oak. As is known, the design for the bridge's 4th stage provides not only for the felling of the woodland and trees within the route corridor, but also for an extensive planting programme – several thousand trees and shrubs will be planted, creating a greener and better-balanced urban environment. The Nummurmuiža Oak – one of the ancient and significant trees of Pārdaugava – today not only remains in its place, but becomes a landscape feature in the new meadow between the Jāņa Čakstes gatve and Ziepniekkalna iela viaducts. This shows that development, urban planning and the conservation of natural assets can go hand in hand, ensuring harmonious growth of the urban environment.”

The Spēkozols movement was founded in 2010. Its aim is to honour nature, to respect and tend our oaks, and to enjoy their strength and inspiration. To manage land sustainably and carry Latvian tradition out into the world. During the movement's work, the Spēkozoli hiking trail has been created at Medņi in Vidriži parish, a grove of twenty-seven Spēkozoli oaks has been planted, and the Aģe great oak has been tended. The movement educates the public about Latvia as a European great power of veteran trees, and is also one of the participants in and supporters of the annual European Tree of the Year competition.